August 2022 Vol. 41 No. 8
July 2022 Vol. 41 No. 7 CONTENTSRegulars 5 Leader - with Tim Murray 6 News - the latest toy industry headlines 12 People News - all the movers and shakers 14 Media News - the multimedia rundown 21 Licensing News - what’s hot in licensed products 22 Don’t Miss - a sneak peek at unmissable products for buyers 24 What’s New - fresh launches that you need to get your hands on 26 Talking Retail - retailers share their best sellers for summer 56 Trade Talk - suppliers look to the second half of the year Features 34 STEM Toys - a look at new products in this core sector 44 Plush Toys - a round-up of what’s new and trending 50 Construction Toys - check out these handson toys and kits Special Reports 16 Is the industry inflation proof, Tim Murray asks 32 Cover Story There’s a new extension – quite literally – to the Sylvanian Families range as budding young hairdressers can style their pony’s hair with the mane attraction of Pony’s Stylish Hair Salon launches. And there’s plenty more from Epoch Games too… 30 Retail Interview - with Alan Wright, category lead for toys & books at John Lewis & Partners 48 Retail Interview - with Bryony TaylorEdwards, toy, gift & home buyer at Yarnton Home & Garden Columnists 7 Trends Column - the U.S. Toy Association focuses on next-gen creators 15 Media Analysis - Generation Media examines non-traditional TV advertising 18 Retail Opinion - John Ryan explores contactless shopping 19 Indie Opinion - Diary of a Toy Shop by Amanda Alexander, owner of Giddy Goat Toys in Manchester 20 Consumer Insight - The Insights Family discusses the uptick in creative toys Lema Publishing Ltd 1 TheChurchgates,Wilderness,Berkhamsted,Herts,HP42UB Telephone: 01442 289930 At the heart of ChairmanretailMalcolm malcolm@lemapublishing.co.ukNaish Managing Director Mark mark@lemapublishing.co.ukNaish Editor Tim tim@lemapublishing.co.ukMurray Assistant Editor Naomi naomi@lemapublishing.co.ukMacKay Production Director Paul paul@lemapublishing.co.ukNaish Circulation Manager Robert robert@lemapublishing.co.ukThomas P58P34 p32 toysnplaythings.media August 2022 Vol. 41 No. 8 CONTENTSRegulars 5 Leader – with Tim Murray 6 News – headlines and more from around the industry 10 People News – all the movers and shakers 12 Retail News – from the shop floor and store head offices 14 Licensing News – licensed products and what brands are up to 16 Media News – what’s happening on the box and beyond 18 Trade Talk – key industry figures on what’s really happening 52 Retail Talk – retailers sharing from the shop floor 56 Don’t Miss – must-stock items for retail 58 What’s New – fresh product to liven up stores Features 34 Autumn Fair – what to expect in Birmingham this year 40 Playground crazes and pocket money toys –the bane of teachers’ lives, but essential earners for retail 46 Dress up and roleplay – TnP dons some fancy dress to look at the current state of play in the market Special reports 26 Retail Interview – Toys n Tuck, with everything from big toys to party bags and sweets 28 Retail Interview – Totally Awesome – from IT to running a toy store 32 Cover story – Spin Master outlines what’s happening with its essential Gabby’s Dollhouse range Columnists 9 Trends Column – the US Toy Association on what’s hot… 20 Retail Opinion – our expert John Ryan on LEGO’s new flagship store 21 Indie opinion – we’re all going to the fair for Diary of a Toy Store 22 Media Analysis – Generation Media tunes into podcasting 24 Consumers – The Insights Family on kids influencing parents’ buying P40 P28P32P46
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Elsewhere, there’s our usual batch of excellent columnists, and our very own retail expert John Ryan talks about LEGO at retail, while our Diary Of A Toy Shop talks on a more local level about getting out and about to local fairs and events. Enjoy the issue, I hope to see you out and about somewhere, and see you next time…
Hello and welcome to the latest issue of Toys ‘n’ Playthings; my second at the helm and it’s another belter.
It’s a steep learning curve, but as I noted here last month, the industry is a hugely welcoming and friendly one. Among the trips out from the TnP Berhamsted HQ and my north London home office, I’ve been to the newly team working the shop floor. I ended up chatting to staff in the store for ages. We talked about the brand, their jobs, their duties and about LEGO product past and present. Their knowledge was impeccable and their enthusiasm made me want to hand over money to them immediately.
importanceoutletsaboutdoLEGOlearnmaywhilestaffreallytheappearseniorStojovic,interviewissue,newsanywhereLEGOnotes,asLeicesterstorenewandexpanded,revamped,refurbishedveryswish-lookingLEGOflagshipinLondon’sSquare.Itis,thecompanykeenlythebiggestretailoutletintheworld.We’vecovereditasaitemhereinthiswhilemyexclusivewithNatalithecompany’sVPforretail,willinthenextissue.Duringmyfirstvisitforstore’spreview,whatstruckmeweretheinthestore.Andmosttoyretailersnotthinktheycananythingfromatretail–“whattheyreallyknowtoyretailing”–thereallyshowtheofgettingagood
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“ One other element worth noting is that senior LEGO staffers told me that, without sharing too many details, business was back at pre-pandemic levels for them. And it’ll be worth noting how that bounce after lockdowns had ended will give another boost to this year’s Autumn Fair. In the coming weeks, my next big event out and about will be my first trip to the Autumn Fair. We’ve previewed it extensively in the current issue and I can’t wait to get stuck in. For the preview I spoke to organisers and exhibitors, the former telling me that it is going to be “very buzzy and very busy”, but it’s the post-Covid element that will be most interesting to not just myself, as a newcomer, but also for existing retailers. For there’s talk from hosts Hyve Group of last year’s show enjoying a bounce as retailers and exhibitors returned to Birmingham and discovered they had really missed the event and gained a lot more from the show than they’d previously thought. Maybe there was a certain fatigue in attending twice a year, spring and autumn, but the absence from the NEC may have made the heart grow fonder. Retailers, Hyve suggested, missed wandering around finding stocking fillers and other smaller items that would work in the runup to Christmas, while exhibitors and the like missed the full order books they got. And Hyve is anticipating that this feelgood factor might continue. I hope you enjoy the preview of the event and I look forward to meeting TnP readers up there – please get in touch if you want to say hello. As well as our look at some of the exhibitors at the Autumn Fair in this issue, we’ve got major features on Playground Crazes and Pocket Money Toys as well as Dress Up and Roleplay, putting these key areas under the spotlight.
LEADER
It highlights just how important finding the right staff is, something that any and every retailer will know about, and how it can really improve the offering.
I’m now firmly on the journey to learn as much as I can about the business, and, over the past few weeks, I’ve been starting to get out and about to meet industry people, to see companies and product and more (well, ridiculously hot weather, train strikes and more willing).
MurrayTim Also by Lema Publishing At the heart of retail TableWare INTERNATIONAL Ji AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE TableWare INTERNATIONAL
The five included Noah, aged four, from Dudley in the West Midlands, who has supported his best pal Dylan who suffers from leukaemia and Millie, eight, from Milton Keynes, who has helped a classmate with Down Syndrome.
Spin Master is offering relief from motorway travelling for families during the summer holidays after forging a partnership with Welcome Break. The deal sees the company working with the motorway service provider to offer a roadside treat for families, setting up Spin Master games in Welcome Break food courts around the country. Games on offer include all-new survival game, Sink ‘N’ Sand, which traps characters on a wild jungle adventure; the Netflix Game, where families dream up their own shows for the streaming channel; and trying to guess objects or animals playing the Hedbanz game. There’s also Beat the Parents; single-player puzzle fun in Perplexus Rebel, and, for the younger passengers, Paw PatrolHedleyPuzzles.Barnes, SVP International at Spin Master Toys, said: “We know that travelling around the UK with children in tow can be difficult. By adding some of our much-loved games to Welcome Break service areas, we’ll be able to help with some well needed respite on long journeys. From fun challenges and brainteasers to quick question games and puzzles for little ones, there is something for everyone.”
Liz Keynes, commercial director of TG Entertainment commented: “We are thrilled with the new range from University Games (UG), which brilliantly reflect the colour, storytelling, creativity and humour of Tom Gates. It is an honour to receive the Hero Games award and we are excited to be working with UG to introduce these games to Tom Gates fans and attract some new ones!
Fair’s fair as new agency appointed Toy Fair is set to return to Olympia in January 2023, with the entire ground floor exhibition space now sold out, and the key industry calendar event will now also boast a new PR agency.
Retail PR has been appointed as the show’s new public relations and press expert, and will support exhibitors and help them get their products seen by the world’s media. Agency founder and MD Courtney Rogers said: “We’re delighted to be working with the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) as Toy Fair’s new PR agency, and look forward to a successful show for the industry in 2023. We endeavour to support all brands exhibiting to build and strengthen relationships with a high calibre of national and broadcast journalists. We will bring our knowledge of the retail landscape, media expertise and fresh ideas and propel the show to new heights, while continuing the legacy Toy Fair has built over its history.”
Opening the Gates Universal Games has thrown open the gates on a new range of games based on the bestselling range of books and TV series Tom Gates.
Five children who represent the best examples of friendship have been given awards in the inaugural Thomas & Friends International Friendship Awards organised by Mattel. Celebrity dad Aston Merrygold presented the quintet with their awards, which, the toy giant said, best highlighted “putting others first, kindness, and going above and beyond to help a friend”.
The BTHA thanked long-term Toy Fair agency Bastion for its hard work over the years and, as the agency exits, Bastion client services director Ravi Vijh said: “For more than 12 years Bastion has managed the Toy Fair press office for the BTHA. We’re proud of the innovations and coverage that we achieved for the industry in that time, from placing memorable segments on BBC Breakfast to launching Toy Fair TV. Most of all though we’re proud of the relationships we’ve built within this brilliant and hard-working industry.’’
Best of friends with Thomas
There’s also a Truly Awesome Card Games Set and a range of 2-in-1 Colourin Puzzles in the launch range, based on the series from creator Liz Pichon. The compendium has already earned itself a Toy Fair Hero Toys Award earlier in the year. University Games and The Lagoon Group marketing director Gemma Lewington said: “We are delighted that this range, and the Monster Games Compendium in particular, has already been recognised with a Toy Industry Award this year, and we are very much looking forward to getting this funpacked range onto the shelves and into the hands of Tom Gates fans.”
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Mastering motorway madness
The range launched in July with the Tom Gates Monster Compendium, a three-in-one offering that features the kind of humour, creativity and doodling that the books and Sky Kids TV series have become known for.
NEWS
The company expects toy sales to grow in the low double digits for 2022.
Spin showsMastergrowth
Toynamics has signed a deal to exclusively distribute a range of educational toys made from sustainable Portugese cork under the Korko banner.
The range of block sets under this banner will offer different sizes, with a wider collection to be added. The cork building bricks stimulate creativity and development skills for children from the age of 18 months upwards, as well as getting a sustainable message across early.
Orchard goes back to nature
Former England soccer ace Peter Crouch and model Ellie Goldstein were among those signed up, while many of the other fans were selected from the hundreds that sent in stories of what LEGO means to them. There are also other familiar faces in there, including some who have appeared in the Brickmasters TV series. Crouch said: “LEGO play has always been in my life. From a young age I’d build football stadiums - little goals, bricks to make the lines around the edge of the pitch and mini-figures as players for the match. “Now, as a dad of four, LEGO building is firmly back in my life and everywhere in our house. My kids love to build – it’s something they’ve all been into at one point or another.
Player portraits
LEGO Ninjago is very popular in our house; some of the things the kids build are so intricate, it really amazes me how it captures their attention. I try to get involved but they normally send me away - I’m definitely better with my feet than my hands!”
Orchard Toys has teamed up with a Norfolk nature reserve to support the Pensthorpe Park’s prehistoric programme for the school holidays. Orchard has helped create two activity trails as part of the beasts and beaks activity throughout the 700-acre site, which tracks mammoths and looks at how dinosaurs turned into modern day birds. Those trails include the Mammoth Maths Hunt and Creature Hunt, the former based on the Orchard bestselling addition and subtraction game.
Spin Master’s global president and CEO Max Rangel said: “We are very pleased with our strong revenue growth this quarter across all three creative centres amid a shifting macroeconomic environment. Our Toy business continued to grow ahead of the industry with the strong performance of our diversified toy portfolio including innovative IP, evergreen franchise brands and popular licensed partnerships. Looking to the balance of the year, we remain confident in our ability to execute on our strategy of reimagining everyday play for children globally, powered by our deep expertise across toys, entertainment and digital games. We believe we are well positioned to manage through external market dynamics to deliver profitable growth and long-term shareholder value.”
Toynamics puts a cork in it
Mum Vicky Ryan, one of the 90 portraits taken alongside her son Kaelen, added: “LEGO play is at the heart of my relationship with my son Kaelen. I loved LEGO sets as a child and passed that love onto him. We have developed an amazing LEGO town in his bedroom.’’
It’s biodegradable, recyclable and carbon-negatice and as well as being durable, soft, light and non-slip is also antibacterial. Toynamics is supporting the launch with PoS, including FSDUs and counter-top display unit, as well as shelf strips and flags, headers and wobblers.Toynamics UK & Ireland MD David Allan said: “Korko is a great addition to our brand portfolio. From Hape to DinosArt, our brands are made to encourage learning through play, and Korko does just that, we’re sure it’ll be loved by parents and children –and“Asretailers.consumer demand for sustainable products continues to grow, Korko gives retailers another great toy brand to meet that demand.”
LEGO has enlisted a cast of 90 – all aged between one and 90 – to help mark its milestone birthday this year. The company has got celebrity photographer Rankin to capture LEGO fans of all ages - one for each year - for a series of images showing the timeless nature of LEGO play.
Spin Master said it was pleased with its ‘strong revenue growth’ after revealing its financial results for the three- and six-month periods to the end of June 2022, which showed revenue across its toy business grow by more than a third, helping its overall revenue soar to more than $500 million for the quarter. Its overall revenue for the three months to the end of June was up by almost 30%, boosted partly by the big increase in toy revenue, and further aided by growth in digital revenue, which was up by more than 9%, as well as its entertainment business (up 3.3%). Figures for the six-month period saw revenue grow to $930.5 million, up 31.5%, driven by toy revenue growing by 35.5% and digital growth of 28.7% compared to the same period in 2021, although entertainment revenue fell by 7%.
7AUGUST 2022
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The sponsorship is part of an ongoing campaign to raise the profile of the Smoby brand, and Mayur Pattni, UK marketing manager at Simba Smoby Toys UK, said: “It has been well reported that our awareness drive for Smoby has been tremendously successful. These family-focused activities are ideal to build on that and definitely something we will explore to expand for 2023. There is, however, much more to come for the remaining months of 2022. We have further family advertising around the Premiere League via pitch-side boards at eight games, plus a heavyweight TV campaign is scheduled for November to showcase Smoby’s workbenches, kitchens, and the all-new Barber Shop and Beauty Centre, just in time for Christmas gifting.”
Rose & Friends EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Ayling-Ellis is helping launch the first-ever Barbie with a behind-theear hearing aid.
Q2welcomesJakksfigures
With more than 1,000 kids signing up for time slots at its branded play zone, Simba Smoby Toys UK has declared its presence at the Gloworm festival a huge success. The company’s official sponsorship of the festival, which took place in Nottinghamshire, included its own Smoby Play Zone. This and the AquaPlay Zone drew scores of young visitors.
Kids need more protection
As one family who attended, the Stephensons, noted: “The whole event was great but in particular the Smoby area was somewhere we could take a break, while Charlie safely played. It was a shame we could not stay for hours, but it was only fair that more children could take a turn.”
Jakks Pacific has welcomed its second quarter financial results for 2022 with its highest-ever sales for the quarter and biggest operating income in the company’s history. Its net sales for the three months to the end of June 2022 were up to more than $220 million, a mammoth year-on-year increase of more than 96%. This was driven by increased sales in its toy and consumer products arm, which saw Y0Y growth of more than 82% to $148.9 million. Costumes grew by more than $71.6 million, a whopping increase of more than 132%.
The celebrity is heading a campaign entitled Rose, Barbie & Friends, which highlights the Fashionista range of inclusive Barbie dolls. It features a host of different models and celebrates “a broader view of beauty”. Rose Ayling-Ellis said: “It’s so important for children to be able to see themselves represented in toys. When I was little, I would draw hearing aids onto my Barbie dolls to make them look like me, so I am thrilled that Mattel is releasing more dolls that encourage kids to embrace their differences.”
Jakks Pacific CEO Stephen Berman said: “Our past quarter’s results are extremely gratifying. The teams collaborated and executed at the highest level – chasing exceptional demand for our product, and relentlessly engaging with our manufacturers, customers and vendors to set everyone up for a great back-part of the year. We’re excited to continue to delight our consumers with a tremendous offering across our toy, consumer product and Halloween ranges, both on-shelf and on-line, and in the US and“Duringinternationally.thequarter we continued to see solid consumer demand across most of our major toy businesses, especially with Disney’s Encanto and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. Our costume business shipped over $71 million, the highest Q2 shipment level since Disguise joined Jakks in 2008. Despite the continuation of supply-chain cost pressures, we nonetheless recorded our first profitable second quarter in 10 years. We have also accelerated our importation of product to support the second half of the year and mitigate our traffic at the ports during the peak season. “We’re pleased to share that we utilised some of the proceeds of our recent results to make an optional $10 million pay-down against our long-term debt, mitigating some of the impact rising interest rates have on our cash interest expense.”
Gary Pope, CEO and co-founder at KI and Children’s Commissioner for Products of Change, commented: “Our data, coupled with the latest warning from the NSPCC of a ‘tsunami’ of online child abuse taking place, highlights the action needed to better support parents with theunsupervisedleftmany–iscontrolsonline.theirprotectaboutinformationhowtheycanandsupportchildrenwhenMakingsureareinplacehugelyimportantespeciallysincewillbetobrowseacrosssummerbreak.“Childrentodayare known to have, on average, at least three different digital devices and start owning them from as young as four years old. Parents have a mammoth task to ensure they’re handled correctly, so it is essential they are supported in doing so.” Parents said there were no controls, features or tools in place to help, despite the increasing presence of devices and access to online content available to children, from smart TVs to laptops, consoles andAllsmartphones.thiscomesdespite parents both knowing and realising they need to protect their kids from inappropriate content. In fact, parents using controls were more likely to be doing so to limit the time their children spend online.
Smoby Play Zone declared a hit!
One in four parents in the US and UK – and an even higher figure in the UK – have no internet controls protecting their children, despite growing fears over the amount of time children are spending on digital devices. And the research, from familyfriendly marketing agency Kids Industries (KI), highlights the need to give parents more information about protecting their children online.
toysnplaythings.media
The U.S. Toy Association first identified this trend catering to ‘kidult’ consumers in its Not Just for Kids trend at the start of 2021, and the results of a recent Association’s survey of more than 2,000 parents across the US found 58% reported buying toys and games for themselves and not just their kids. Here is just a small sampling of the kidult toys and games to look out for in 2022: Expanding the Steiff Rocks! series, which celebrates the icons of British rock music; the limited-edition Elton John Teddy Bear is made of pink and cream mohair fashioned to look like the musician’s personalised bomber jacket worn on the album cover of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The Sonic Speed R/C (Jakks Pacific) lets fans recreate the action from the latest Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie. The controller is shaped like a Sonic ring and the figure is detachable with 13 points of articulation for posing and display. The Pop! Album of The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced (Funko) is an exclusive collectable figure featuring the musician’s look from his Are You Experienced album. It also includes cover art that can be hung on the wall forTakedisplay.onthe role of detective in University Games’ newest whodunit game, Murder Mystery Party Case File: Death by Chef’s Knife. Players must work together to find the motive and uncover who murdered a fictional New York City chef. Exploding Kittens has added a new not-safe-forwork (NSFW) edition of its card game Poetry for Neanderthals. Gameplay remains the same; players can only give single-syllable clues to help teammates guess a secret phrase, remains the same. In this version, the secret phrases have been updated for more adult audiences.
Nominations include familiar faces such as Batman, Gigabots, Heroes Of Goo Jit Zu, Jurassic World, Star Wars and Transformers in Action Figure of the Year; Crayola, Disney, LEGO Minifigures and Harry Potter in Collectible of the Year; LEGO going up against Thames & Kosmos and more in the Construction Toy of The Year category; everything from Black Panther to Miniland Baby Dolls in Doll of the Year; Pokémon and Connect 4 Spin Game in Game of the Year, and Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll taking Fisher-Price’son Ted Lasso Little People Collector in Grownup Toy of the Year. Other categories include Creative Toy of the VehicleSteamSpecialityToy;Toy;Playset;OutdoorisGabby’swhichofofInfant/ToddlerYear;ToytheYear;LicencetheYear,forcoverstarDollhousenominated;Toy;PlushPreschoolRide-onToy;Toy;ToyandoftheYear.
The winneroveralland the People’s Choice will be unveiled in November to boostfurthertoy PR just before the crucial present season
The full list of nominations can be seen at https://toyawards.org.
TOYS FOR THE KIDULT IN US ALL US unveils its Toy of the Year nominations US trade body the Toy Association has unveiled its 122 nominations across the 17 categories in its prestigious charity fundraiser Toy of the Year (TOTY) awards.
For manufacturers and retailers dealing with the disruption of lockdowns and shipping delays, catering to older consumers in the toy aisles has offered an area of growth and opportunity. In fact, many toymakers have expressed optimism that the ‘kidult’ consumer base will hold even as toy sales begin to dip from peak pandemic-level growth
AUGUST 2022
The announcement of the nominations kicks off the countdown to the September gongs and, because of the awards’ new calendar, reflects the best toys over the past few years in the different categories as selected by the panel of judges including play experts, journalists, academics, retailers, and other toyTheexperts.public will now vote for the winners at www.toyawards. org, with the winners unveiled at an awards event in Dallas on September 20 just before the Association’s 2023 Preview and 2022 Holiday Market. The overall winner and the People’s Choice will be unveiled in November, to further boost toy PR just before the crucial present season.
The Toy Association’s 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Market, taking place September 20-22 in Dallas, Texas, invites play professionals to take advantage of the show’s unique position as both a long-lead and Q4-focused event and will also host the prestigious Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. Then, 2023 marks the return of the biggest North American toy show! Toy Fair returns to New York City next fall to showcase hundreds of thousands of innovative and neverbefore-seen toys and games and bring thousands in the global play community back together for business.
Star Wars The Black Series Obi-Wan Kenobi Force FX Elite Lightsaber is a collectable version of the Star Wars jedi’s lightsaber, as seen in the latest Disney+ series, equipped with advanced LED and sound effects. It also includes a stand for display, with or without the removable blade. Want to know what will be trending in toys and play in 2023 and beyond? Be sure to mark your calendars for two can’t-miss, in-person marketplace events.
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“The finalists are marvellous examples of innovation and imagination to deliver the power of play to children and adults alike,” said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. “While the TOTY Awards spotlight the best of the best in toys, it’s heartening that our toy family chooses this platform to unite behind the TTF’s core program areas. Thanks to your collective support, we’re able to deliver millions of toys to disadvantaged youth, improve pediatric care in under-resourced communities, and help attract diverse talent to the industry.”
The new-look store features 3D builds featuring key characters and franchises, as well as more hands-on experiences than anywhere else in the country and a 90 years walkthrough in the store celebrating the company’s history.
The Barbie Dream Camper, which boasts screenings, ‘festival vibe’ face-painting, toy play areas, and prize giveaways, kicked off in Milton Keynes, while the Hot Wheels Hauler, which features a gaming station, exclusive toy demos, photo opps and play activities, plus giveaways, starts in Bury. Before the tour began, Michael Hick, VP & country manager, Mattel UK said: “The Barbie Dream Camper and Hot Wheels Hauler tours bring both of our much-loved products to life for maximum family fun this summer. We were delighted to be the first to try out these UKourexperiencesdynamicatnewMattelHQ,beforefamiliesalloverthecountrygettoimmersethemselvesintheseexperiences.”
“We are investing in upgrading LEGO stores around the world to give visitors fun, unique and memorable brand experiences. The refurbishment and expansion of our flagship London store will make it a must-visit destination for fans young and old.”
The store, the biggest in LEGO’s worldwide estate, underwent a revamp and expansion and offers up a state-of-the-art retail experience from the toy giant. The refurbishment and addition of another floor went hand in hand with an ongoing marketing and PR campaign from LEGO, which kicked off when giant LEGO bricks were spotted being carried across Leicester Square to mark what the toy giant said was its ‘biggest build ever’. The bricks were being transported to the flagship store to highlight the activity, which was keenly timed to coincide with LEGO’s 90th anniversary.
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Meanwhile, in the run-up to August, the LEGO Group also marked another big event on the calendar, the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 event by taking part in the fan festival in nearby Trafalgar Square. It encouraged supporters to use their imagination to play their own version of football – a fantastical one – and included a life-size copy of the trophy for selfie opportunities.•Forafullexclusive interview with Natali Stojovic, and for what retailers can learn from LEGO, see the next issue of TnP… Mattel hits the road Mattel UK is taking to the road this summer, with not one but two of its top brands touring the country during the school holidays.
With a giant fanfare, a huge launch event and a grand opening drawing hiuge crowds, the new LEGO store in the heart of London’s West End has thrown open its doors.
Senior VP for LEGO Retail Natali Stojovic said: “Thank you to all the fans who visited the store opening. We were so excited to welcome you and overwhelmed by your amazing support and passion for the brand. We can’t wait to see even more people during our opening celebrations over the coming days.
The store boasts exclusive items for sale, as well a ‘storytelling table’ where fans can watch interviews and videos outlining the design process, and an 880,000 brick ‘tree of discovery’, which will be the centrepiece of the store. There are also highlights from the world of Harry Potter, a double-decker bus and James Bond’s Aston Martin.
The Barbie Dream Camper and the Hot Wheels Haulier – totally immersive brand experiences that will excite children and keep the parents happy – set off from Mattel’s Slough, Berkshire, HQ on two separate tours of Smyths toy stores around the UK from July 22. The tours will last the six-week duration of the long holiday break from schools. Each of the two buses will visit a total of 18 stores, three per week, from Friday through Sunday.
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The store reopened in August with joint celebrations for the occasion and the landmark birthday. The store was opened up for a VIP preview for assorted TV personalities and media stars. Those attending included athlete Greg Rutherford, performer Kimberly Walsh and model Ellie Goldstein. On the day of the opening, a giant birthday cake and singalong of Happy Birthday was organised, with a double decker bus manned by LEGO London mascot Lester also on hand. A curtain reveal showed the store frontage and the ribbon was cut by a fan.
LEGO’sNEWSRETAILnew build
ToymastersignmembersNewupfor
Two new retailers have joined under the Toymaster umbrella.Thenew members include Toys4U in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, run by Usman Ali and Mehak Rauf and, further north, Big Top Toys, which boasts two Derbyshire stores in Bakewell and Rowsley. The store is run by PaulToymasterRothwell.said it welcomed both retailers into the fold and wished them all the best for the future.
is a andexcitingactivityasapromotionwell-deservedforEmma,andthrillingchallengeforherwerampupourlevelofforHapeduringanperiodofbrandbusinessgrowth”
David Allan, MD at Toynamics UK & Ireland
Bandai creates commercial role
Toynamics has promoted Emma Damerell to the role of European campaign and brand manager for its Hape brand as part of its ongoing growth strategy.
“This
National accounts controller for Rainbow Designs Gary Hughes said: “Having worked with Jo on the same team at Winning Moves, I am so excited to be working with her again. Her experience in the toy market along with Jo’s personal touch can only bolster our ambitious plans, and with so many exciting new products and licensing developments, I see nothing but opportunity for Rainbow and their partners.”
Pacific staffer Emma Prendaglia joins Wow! Stuff in senior role Emma Prendaglia has joined Wow! Stuff as senior national accounts manager, looking after some of the company’s leading retailers. She said: “I’ve recently said goodbye to a fantastic team at Jakks after an amazing four years of learning about the toy industry and all things Disney, Nintendo and Sonic – I’m looking forward to taking this experience and joining the innovative team at Wow! Stuff.
“I can’t wait to start working with retailers in this category. With such of range of beautifully made products, full of classic Formercharacters”loveableJakks
The promotion follows a restructure of the marketing team at the company and its assorted brand and is part of a ‘wider development’ of the Hape Group. Damerell will oversee UK marketing as well as taking on European responsibilities, working on consumer marketing and brand development. She joined the company at the end of 2020 as head of marketing having worked at Hornby Hobbies among others. She will be assisted by Abi Gardner. David Allan, MD at Toynamics UK & Ireland, said: “This is a welldeserved promotion for Emma, and a thrilling challenge for her as we ramp up our level of activity for Hape during an exciting period of brand and business growth. And we’re delighted to welcome Victoria as we boost our customer service team.”
Wow! Stuff commercial director Dawn Lavalette added: “Emma is exactly what we are looking for from a Wow! Stuffer; diligent with a great eye for detail and follow-up, hard working, and fun. We give a big thanks for the hard work and commitment of Leanne Royce in her role looking after Smyths, Tesco and other leading UK retailers over the past three years, and we wish her the best of luck with her next move.”
Rainbow Designs has strengthened its sales team with the appointment of a new national accounts manager. Jo Adger has taken on the role, which has seen Rainbow further invest in its already successful sales team, and brings with her both industry and specialist toy sales experience gained in more than a decade working in and around the business. Adger joined the industry in 2011, working at DK8 and has spent the past four years at Winning Moves. She said: “I can’t wait to start working with retailers in this category. With such of range of beautifully made products, full of classic loveable characters, I believe there are plenty of opportunities to add to Rainbows success.”
In other news, the company is expanding its customer service team and Victoria Potter has joined as customer service assistant.
Bandai has appointed Leanne Royce to the newly-created role of commercial manager at its UKThearm.role has been created due to the continued growth of Bandai’s collector and hobby division. Royce, who moreboaststhan20 years’ experience in the business, has joined from Wow! Stuff.Bandai UK MD Nic Aldridge said: “We are thrilled to welcome Leanne to the UK business. And to do so at such an exciting time in Bandai’s development as we look to unlock previously unrealised product categories from our parent company in Japan, which represent a host of new opportunities for the UK market. This is while continuing to develop our already incredibly successful collector and hobby business. We’ll have some extremely exciting announcements to make as we progress through the year, which Leanne and her team will be responsible for spearheading as we bring them to market.” Royce added: “I am beyond excited to be joining Bandai, a truly iconic toy company celebrating its 40th anniversary year. My time in the toy industry began over 20 years ago at Tomy, while completing my law degree. It’s true what they say, that once you’re in you never leave. My time at Tomy, Flair, and most recently Wow! Stuff has all given me amazing experience that has shaped my career today and Bandai is the perfect next step for me. It is such an exciting time to be joining the company and especially in the collector category. which is going from strength to strength.’’
Over the Rainbow
“I’m mother to six-year-old George – all set to be the Hulk Hogan of his generation and nine-year-old Polly who wants to be Eleven from Stranger Things (yes, worrying). Married to a dinosaur enthusiast, we’re a strange bunch based in St Albans, Herts. I myself am an obsessed foodie so outside of selling toys, daydream about restaurants to visit and dishes I can create. I therefore spend a lot of time at CrossFit making sure I can keep a reasonable grip on my weight!”
toysnplaythings.media12 NEWSPEOPLE
DamerellDaysHape-yfor
“As we have expanded our marketing team, we welcome Matt into the Epoch family. With his knowledge and diverse experience, we look forward to him taking the reins and ‘future proofing’ our brands”
Epoch Commercial director John Briggs
DisneythethatwithwealthcompanybringsindustrymarketingShawhasEpochEpochmakingtoysappointedMattasitsnewmanager.Theformerfilmexecutivewhatthesaysisaofexperiencehim,withaCVincludesstintsatlikesofTheWaltCompany,
The Toy Association has appointed Jos Huxley to the role of senior vice president for technical affairs. Huxley joins from Hasbro, where he was the principal QA engineer and regulatory specialist. He is working alongside Alan Kaufman, who was recently named senior advisor of technical affairs for the next six to nine months, before Kaufman eventually retires.
Charlie Foulkes has been appointed as director of digital and marketing at MVHeSports.joinsthe company from Pure Electric, where he was marketing director, while his CV includes stints at the likes of Halfords and Somerfield Stores. Peter Kimberley, CEO at MV Sports parent Tandem Group, said: “I am delighted to have Charlie join our leadership team, he brings a wealth of experience within the active leisure, sporting categories and more widely across multiple retail sectors having previously operated in both B2B and B2C roles. He is a customer centric, dynamic marketing and digital leader, which will be an asset to the group supporting our dealers and retailers and inspiring ourFoulkescustomers.”added: “MV Sports is a fantastic business, with so many exciting, exclusive and heritage brands across multiple sectors. “I am thrilled to be joining a talented and passionate team that is so focused on delivering first class products to our customers.’’ New era at
13AUGUST 2022
Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros and V Tech Electronics. He was most recently at Paramount where he was head of marketing. He will oversee marketing duties at the three arms of parent company Epoch Making Toys – Aquabeads, Epoch Games and Sylvanian Families – as part of the recently expanded marketing team at the company.
Armstrong added: “Sambro is an outstanding company with a strong portfolio of toy brands and own brand products and I’m excited to join the organisation at this significant time in its ongoing growth. I look forward to working with Paul and the leadership team at Sambro to drive growth and ensure its continued success.”
Toy Association gets technical US trade body
As the company continues to aim for its target of achieving a £70m turnover within the next two years, Sambro International has appointed a new chief financial officer.
Kaufman, who has been at The Toy Association for 11 years and has notched up more than four decades in the business added: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Toy Association and have found it immensely rewarding to contribute to the advancement of the entire industry in the position of senior vice president of technical affairs. Jos is a perfect fit to fill this role going forward, and I am excited to continue in an advisory role.’’
Epoch Commercial director John Briggs said: “As we have expanded our marketing team, we welcome Matt into the Epoch family. With his knowledge and diverse experience, we look forward to him taking the reins and ‘future proofing’ our brands, bringing innovation to our planning and, more importantly, enabling the whole marketing team to realise their ideas.’’
Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association, said: “Jos’s strong technical knowledge of the US and international toy safety standards, his expertise in best practices for toy safety, and his ability to lead, encourage, and guide open discussions and productive decisionmaking within multi-stakeholder working groups ensure that he is the best candidate for this position.’’
Huxley added: “I look forward to contributing to and maintaining the high standard of support that The Toy Association provides in its critical and evolving mission to serve the toy and play community in delivering the safe and fun products which provide so much joy and entertainment to children and families around the world.”
Ben Armstrong has retail and FMCG experience at companies such as EV Cargo and KidKraft Toys & Furniture. He will work alongside CEO Paul Blackaby with the goal of achieving the magic turnover mark by 2023. Blackaby said: “Ben is a world-class CFO with a proven track record of driving operational performance and growth across global consumer-facing organisations. His leadership and financial expertise will benefit Sambro as we continue to grow, and I look forward to working with him as we embark on the next stage of our journey.”
Sambro International appoints new Chief Financial Officer
MV Sports appoints new director
Squishmallows continues to grow, Jazwares added, with more than 8 billion views on TikTok and the @squishmallows and associated tags being used more than a million times.
With its streaming service Paramount+ now launched in the UK and its film arm currently topping the 2022 box office charts, Paramount has shown off its consumer products details in person for the first time in three years. The company’s UK consumer products arm held its annual partner showcase as a live event, showing off its future franchise plans as well as celebrating the past 12 months with its assorted partners, licensees and retailers.
VP for consumer products in the UK and Ireland Venetia Davie said: “Yesterday, for the first time since 2019, we were able to host our 2022 Partner Showcase in person and we couldn’t have been more excited. Our partners, licensees, and retailers play an important role in the continued success of Paramount Consumer Products, and we’re delighted to be back celebrating their wonderful collaborations with our brands. 2023 is set to be a monumental year for Paramount and we’re glad we had the opportunity to share an exclusive look at some of our most exciting content debuting soon on Paramount+.”
IP on show includes The Smurfs, Barbie, The Batman, Peppa Pig, Peanuts, Care Bears, Bluey, Minions, Cocomelon, Cry Babies, Monopoly, Sonic the Hedgehog, Nerf, Squishmallows, Play Doh, L.O.L. Surprise and Shaun the Sheep. Many familiar elements – the character parade, networking events among them – are set to return, while new initiatives include elements such as visitor orientation, highlighting how new attendees can get the most from the show.
Among those exhibiting are toyrelated companies such as Warner Bros, Hasbro, Jazwares, Mattel, IMG, Universal, Sanrio, BBC Studios and Banijay Brands, Paramount, NBC Universal, Aardman, Acamar Films, Asmodee, Asterix, BANDAI NAMCO, Beanstalk, Crunchyroll, Cyber Group Studios, Difuzed, Magic Light Pictures, Natural History Museum, Penguin Ventures, Perfetti Van Melle, SEGA, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, The Pokémon Company, The Smurfs and many more.
BLE will be “a belter”
Chief brand officer at Jazwares, Jeremy Padawer, added: “As demand for Squishmallows continues to skyrocket, we’re thrilled to debut this exciting partnership at San Diego Comic-Con, where celebrating collector culture with fans comes first.”
toysnplaythings.media
The presentation took in everything from pre-school Baby Shark to grown-up Top Gun, as well as revealing key Paramount+ brands such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek Prodigy and PAW Patrol.Paramount
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Pokémon gets squishy Dateline: San Diego Comic Con (SDDC). And the biggest event for fans and devotees was the perfect venue for the unveiling of a new alliance between Squishmallows and Pok é mon. The collaboration will see Pikachu and other characters from the Pokémon universe appearing as Squishmallow toys. Attendees at the SDDC got the chance to see a sneak preview of the huggable toys up close and personal ahead of their autumn launch on Jazwares’pokemoncenter.com.seniorVPofbrand and marketing Gerhard Runken said: “Joining forces with Pokémon to bring fans this monumental new offering takes the Squishmallows brand to a completely new level of pop-culture coolness.” “Pokémon continues to offer new and premier ways for fans to experience and show their love for the brand,” said Amy Sachtleben, director of licensing, The Pokémon Company International. “This collaboration with Jazwares to introduce Pokémon in the immensely popular Squishmallows expression is a perfect fit for fans of both brands. We can’t wait to see reactions at Comic-Con International in San Diego and the upcoming launch on PokemonCenter.com.”
BLE is now a matter of weeks and days rather than months away, with almost 200 exhibitors, including 30 new ones, signed up and ready to show off their wares at the show. Organisers say they are expecting great things from the show, with visitor registration numbers “equally as positive” as exhibitor figures.
As noted last issue, this year’s BLE is fashion-themed, with a catwalk as well as an opening keynote from Mattel president Richard Dickson. The show, taking place at its usual London Excel home from September 20-22, will also have a sustainability focus, including a presentation on the subject from Hasbro, with the License This competition asking entrants to design a Wallace & Gromit STEM toy.
Anna Knight, SVP of Licensing, Informa Markets, said: “2022 is shaping up to be an absoluter belter of a BLE with brilliant content for all toy retailers and manufacturers.We just can’t wait.”
NEWSLICENSING Paramount celebrates partners
Consumer Products also handed out awards to its partners, including Best Softlines Partner to Blues Group; Best Hardlines Partner to Addo Play Ltd; Best CPG Partner to Beiersdorf; Best Paper & Gifting Partner to Danilo Promotions; Best Kids Product Range to PAW Patrol Unisex Range at George Asda and Best Adult Product Range to Nick 90s Genderless Range at Paramount’sPrimark.
Poetic justice for Pokémon Poetic Brands has partnered with online retailer ASOS to produce a 38-piece range of apparel based on the mammoth Pokémon franchise. The range builds on the apparel licensee’s partnership with the retailer and features classic Pokémon characters and includes t-shirts, dresses, hoodies, knitwear, denim shorts, a denim jacket, denim short dungarees, swimwear and accessories.
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Fanattik MD Anthony Marks said: “Tabletop gaming was already a growth area pre-pandemic; when lockdown hit, demand went through the roof and continues to remain high for related product. We believe we are best in class when it comes to fan-focused gifts and collectables, so Asmodee as a market leader, is a natural partner for us and the retailers we supply.”
The line-up includes (deep breath) Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (February 2023), Secret Invasion (Spring 2023 on Disney+), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 2023), Hawkeye spin-off Echo (Summer 2023 on Disney+), Loki Season 2 (Summer 2023), The Marvels (July 2023), Ironheart (Autumn 2023 on Disney+), Blade (November 2023), WandaVision spin-off Agatha: Coven Of Chaos (Winter 2023/2024 on Disney+), Daredevil: Born Again (Spring 2024 on Disney+), Captain America: New World Order (May 2024) and Thunderbolts(July 2024).
The deal will cover Asmodee titles such as the 10 million-selling Ticket To Ride as well as Legend Of The Five Rings, Arkham Horror and Twilight Imperium. It will see Fanattik products being supplied to ‘pop culture retailers’ throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.
Henry goes bag mad Novel Entertainment has teamed up with charity Madlug on an initiative that aims to give bags to kids in care for every special Horrid Henry bag sold over theMadlugcounter.is a charity that aims to help kids who have experienced or are in care by giving them bags after realising many carried their worldly possessions around in bin bags. It operates on a ‘buy one give one’ approach, meaning that for every bag sold, the charity receives a packaway bag. It’s teamed up with Novel Entertainment on the new itshalfwayItkidsexperiencedbagsgettingMadlug’sinitiativecom.availablebackpack,onMadlug.Itishopedthewillhelpaimof90,000tocareby2024.isalreadytotarget.
The Con Is On With hordes of cosplayers, toy fanatics, geeks and nerds in attendance, the annual San Diego Comic Con saw studios, streaming platforms and more unveiling their big releases, movies, and TV programmes for the coming months and years. And the slate revealed by the assorted companies gives a glimpse into the big franchises and licenses that will be appearing in stores later in 2022 and beyond as well as highlighting licensing opportunities.
The Netflix series take on DC comic book Sandman also aired a Elsewhere,trailer.Paramount offered up a first look at its potential franchise based on the popular game Dungeons And Dragons, which is due at cinemas in March next year. And there was more from Amazon, as another glimpse was given of its Prime Video spin on the JRR Tolkein classic The Lord Of The Rings.
Disney-owned Marvel revealed the next phase of its Marvel Cinematic Universe – phase five – but not after showing off trailers for two titles that will bring the curtain down on phase four, namely Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, due at cinemas, and SheHulk: Attorney At Lawe, which will air onItsDisney+.phasefive slate is ridiculously packed and sees some familiar faces and bankable properties returning.
Meanwhile, Warner and its DC arm were less noisy, but in the Black Adam and Shazam! trailers it boasted a couple of goodies that fans welcomed.
Fanattik’s Ticket to license Gift and collectables company Fanattik has inked a three-year multiterritory licensing deal with tabletop gaming giant Asmodee.
One of the more interesting facets to note there is the return of Daredevil, this time on Disney+, after the first two aired at Netflix and the show was then pulled. The mammoth series will feature 18 episodes and stars Charlie Cox, as the titular man without fear, and villain Kingpin, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, will teturn, Marvel supremo and leading creative for the studio Kevin Feige even went further and offered up a peek into the sixth phase of the MCU too. This means a fantastic licensing opportunity in the shape of the Fantastic Four film, which arrives in November 2024, with shooting starting next year; and, into 2025, two new Avengers films, The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, due in May and November of that year respectively.
Asmodee Entertainment licensing manager Alexander Thieme said: “Anthony and I were of the same mind when we first started talking at BLE 2021. Fanattik’s products are both creative and of a high quality that comes at reasonable price points. When we honed in on the brands we ended up with a wider selection to offer retailers a brand spectrum. I’m delighted that we can finally announce our cooperation now, and I can’t wait to see the products coming from it.”
Fisher-Price is supporting a campaign by charity Family Action aimed at encouraging parents and carers to spend time playing with their kids over the holidays. And they’ve enlisted the help of actress and celebrity Gemma Atkinson, along with her three-year-old daughter Mia, to help publicise the campaign, which is called Creating Happy Memories.
16 NEWSMEDIA
Vivid Goliath has racked up more than 2.1 million views on YouTube after working with a key influencer to highlight its Wahu brand of outdoor games. The company enlisted the help of footballing YouTuber SV2 to highlight its range, with the influencer and his team doing an assault course-style footballing challenge using Wahu toys.
Information and suggestions are up on the Family Action website, with suggestions including junk modelling, mud and sand, nature play, and food play, as well as tips from Fisher-Price child development experts and information and blog posts to further encourage parents to spend meaningful time with their kids.
Bluey is now airing
Wahoo for Wahu
Tyre, VP global sales and rights strategy at WildBrain, said: “We’ve established a hugely successful and far-reaching relationship with HarperCollins Productions on the Carmen Sandiego brand across production, distribution and licensing. It’s been a thrill for our teams to be part of the reinvention of this beloved and iconic property.
toysnplaythings.media
Vivid Goliath marketing manager Ben Hogg said: “The Wahu brand lends itself perfectly to influencer content to showcase the range, performance of the products and how much fun kids can have. Hats off to Viral Talent for pairing Wahu with SV2, who we could see right away was going to reach the right demographic, but not only that, he was able to do so in a really engaging way. We are delighted with the numbers we are seeing on the video and the sales performance.”
WIldBrain is also looking after the original Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego series from the 1990s. A live-action film is also due onCarolineNetflix.
The second series of hot animated children’s series Bluey is now airing on the BBC across the Cbeebies channel as well as the corporation’s iPlayer. The first series was the highest rated Cbeebies programme in the first quarter of 2022 and the series has picked up a whole host of gongs as well as rave notices. Both the Guardian and website Vulture have described it as “the best show in television”, while Rolling Stone placed it in the 100 best sitcoms of all time.
Gemma Atkinson said: “I still remember the games that my parents played with me, and I want Mia to have those memories of us playing together too. That’s why I am so proud to be partnering with Fisher-Price.’’
What’s more, it has already racked up more than 2.1 million views on the video-sharing site. SV2 said: “Working with Wahu was amazing. The versatility of their products made it very easy to make fun challenges for my football challenge. Wahu hits the same target audience very well, as my audience likes to get active with sports.”
Monster wins for Truck Netflix preschool series Trash Truck was one of the big winners at the annual Kidscreen Awards hosted by North American TV personality GreyTheGriffin.series picked up four gongs at the prestigious ceremony, with awards decided by two panels of industry judges, including best new series and best animated series. It was one of more than 10 awards for Netflix, including wins for series such as Izzy’s Koala World and Waffles + Mochi. Another Netflix series, Centaurworld, picked up a trio of awards, while Bob’s Burgers was the best animated series.
Carmen get it! International thief Carmen Sandiego is getting even more worldwide coverage after production, licensing and distribution operator WildBrain inked a deal with HarperCollins Productions that will see it handling worldwide distribution rights for the series based on herTheadventures.dealwillsee the Netflix production, which takes in four seasons and 33 episodes, getting even more coverage on linear TV, with deals already signed for Disney-owned traditional TV channels in Japan and France.
MemoriesMaking
Research suggests that 10 minutes of creative play can be as important to development as a trip to the zoo.
DAVID MORDECAI CEO One for Fun How has business been in 2022 so far? It’s been really good actually, I expect everyone to say that. changes during Covid around are helping us now; the new ranges are leading the way additions of some great new Dream Beams, Zuru and Maisto proving popular.
And how do you think the second half of 2022 will be? 2022 will be a challenging year for many but we have established brands, evergreen properties and strong customer relationships, which will allow us to navigate the current turbulence in the economy.
How do you think the cost of living crisis and rising inflation is affecting business? price points. How are you planning to help retailers with their business in the latter part of 2022? We have consumera PR all online, social through. Our fidget toy by PHIL RATCLIFFE joint MD, MV Sports & Leisure Ltd How has business been in 2022 so far? Despite rising inflation and living costs, MV continues to be a leading player in the UK’s supply of wheeled and outdoor toys. Our licensed business is performing well with new signings coming on stream towards year-end. The e-mobility category is expected to grow exponentially over the long term.
How are you making your business more sustainable? We have just received FSC certification for our wooden toys,
And how do you think the second half of 2022 will be? There will be all sorts of challenges for the fourth quarter, but with such a diverse range at so many price points we feel we are able to offer consumers a great choice that will fit with the pressures on their pockets in the coming months.
TradeOPINIONTRADE talk
We talk to suppliers about how business is at the moment, and their plans for the second half of the year Calling all suppliers and distributors! We’d love to hear 18
How are you making your business more sustainable?
The majority of our products are either human- or clean energy-powered, which is better for the environment and for the health and well-being of the nation as a whole. MV is very proud to be fully solar-powered and has been for many years now. In fact, our solar panels accumulate enough energy to give back to the grid on a regular basis. With expansion plans for our new warehouse well under way, we intend to incorporate solar panels there too. In addition, we actively encourage the use of electric cars with easyaccess electric charging ports based in the car park, with plans to expand soon. How do you think the cost of living crisis and rising inflation is affecting business? Parents are back on thenotherwhileChristmasspendingthantheresectors.Iamconfident How are you planning to help retailers with their business in the latter part of 2022? We want to so we will be the year to What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year? Seeing beautifullynew Looking ahead to 2023, what will be the key issues for the business? 2023 tochanceshapelooksandnewtomeetgetoutto
www.wiltonbradley.co.uksales@wiltonbradley.co.uk01626 835400
Flying flagshipthe
John Ryan is Stores Editor of business magazine Retail Week. He has worked for the title for more than a decade covering store design, visual merchandising and what makes things sell in-store. In a previous life, he was a buyer.
about what it would be and how it might be done. The nearinstant gratification of the boxed set is a different animal.
But does all of this mean that the cost of owning and building LEGO models has increased in price in real terms, particularly at a moment when the headlines are filled with stories about the ‘cost of living’ crisis? Possibly, but that isn’t really the point. As things stand, a visit to a LEGO store is something that wouldn’t have been possible in bygone days – there just weren’t any, and the only available experience for the user was that of the bricks themselves.
assessesexpertMorereallyismore,saysretailJohnRyanashethenew,improvedLEGOstoreonLeicesterSquare
What, therefore, does an even bigger LEGO store add up to? For those visiting London (and most of the customers in the LEGO store are by definition tourists, whether from the UK or overseas) what is on offer is certainly a place in which to buy small pieces of plastic that add up to something much larger, but it is also a focal point for brand fans.
OPINIONRETAIL
Bigger, is better, on this reckoning and, contrary perhaps to much current thinking, there is still a lot to be said for the flagship proper. Those headed to the LEGO store in central London this month will emerge from a visit with a lot more than a boxed set, or a few pieces from the pick ‘n mix. Instead, they will take away a memory that will stay with them until the next time they feel the LEGO urge, even if it satisfied in a more modest local branch. And the clever bit is that LEGO has managed to instil the essence of what is done in Leicester Square in smaller branches, surely one of the prime purposes of a large store that heads up a chain. If you’re in London, this one will be worth a visit.
Over time, this is a brand that has opted to go direct to the consumer and in so doing to be rather more than the product. The Leicester Square store, in these terms, is a natural progression from product to product destination and experience, a place in which the customer can live the Billund dream. This may mean that shoppers pay more, but they are getting more. It is fair to comment, at this point, that when the LEGO store opened in this location, in 2016, it was a flagship and it joined others in the area with the M&M’s flagship (which opened in 2011) being the most obvious. Now we’re in the third decade of the 21st century and last month (July) Greggs became the latest brand to select Leicester Square as a place in which to show off its credentials and to spread the word about its baked fare.
T he LEGO Store on Leicester Square has been an impressive affair since it opened in 2016, as long as your taste runs to Tube train carriages and chiming models of Big Ben, all composed of plastic bricks. Now that sense of scale is given a boost and, following a major refurb, the store becomes even bigger. Yet when written down on paper, isn’t being an outsize LEGO emporium something to stifle a yawn about? After all, isn’t this just a case of ‘the same, but bigger’? In truth, the answer is a partial yes. The bricks, for the most part, are the same and the pick and mix choose your own building blocks will result in the shopper walking out with something that might generally be found in a much smaller outpost. That said, there is a more to a big store than excess merchandise. This one really is a flagship and as such it serves to set an example for the rest of the fleet. It has to be not only something that others can look up to, but also to have elements to which the rank and file can aspire. And given the location, anybody visiting should expect to enjoy some kind of experience. The experience in question turns out to be the opportunity to wander past sundry London reminders fashioned, in each case, from thousands of LEGO pieces. This is an almost entirely physical experience, although there are a few pieces of digital flimflam to keep those for whom life begins and ends on a mobile phone at bay. But now, gentle reader, cast your mind back to the dim and distant past. When your correspondent was a child growing up in Dortmund, our parents bought LEGO for its supposed educational value. The theory went that if you could build stuff (and the shapes and sizes of the bricks were far less various) then your mind would be exercised and your creative powers given a workout. In practice, this meant a drawstring cotton bag brim-full of LEGO, pieces which you emptied out onto the floor and then sighed when it came time to tidy up. This was a very long time ago and two things have happened since then: the price of constructing something out of LEGO seems to have gone up and instead of creating something yourself, today it’s likely that a boxed set of a predetermined object will be purchased. When complete the patient LEGO constructor will have built, perhaps, the Empire State Building or maybe a Formula 1 racing car. This would never have been possible in 1960s Dortmund: boxed sets weren’t available and the idea was that you’d build something from scratch having spent a bit of time thinking
21AUGUST 2022
THE INDEPENDENTOPINION
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seemedJuneto go on forever and with gloomy,its cold and Yorkshirewetweatherit was pretty quiet and slow. But it turned out that aworriesmyaboutquietJulyweretotallyunreasonable.IhaveneverhadabetterJulyEVER
Maggie Tibbenham from the Imagine Toy Shop in Holmfirth has been visiting fairs within a 90-minute radius of the Yorkshire store to set up stall – and it’s helped contribute to her busiest July ever Here she outlines what’s been happening in store and what she’s looking for at Autumn Fair…
H ere in Holme Valley it feels like Covid and any restrictions have never existed. Not a mention about it any more, and the only reminder of it is a large plexi-counter shield separating me and my staff from our customers. We’ve got so used to having it there, it would feel too strange if we tried to take it down. I guess at least it creates a bit of security from unlikely quick hands trying to grab anything valuable lyying on the counter. I’m mentioning the possibility of such a situation as quite recently we had a group of young boys raiding the shop in search of Pokémon cards! They were really quick and stole Pokémon items worth £160. As if it wasn’t hard enough to run a small independent business! Thankfully, they were caught by the police but our stock was damaged... June seemed to go on forever, and with its gloomy, cold and wet Yorkshire weather it was pretty quiet and slow. But it turned out that my worries about a quiet July (which it mostly is with parents patiently waiting for schools to break for summer) were totally unreasonable. I have never had better July EVER! My hard work paid off as I decided to use every opportunity and apply for a stall at any large fair, show or gala in a vast area up to 90 minutes away from the shop). For the whole month I’ve only had three days off. I’ve spent every single weekend away at fairs while my fantastic staff run the shop in my absence. I seriously love taking my business into different places, and fairs always work super-well for me. With the arrival of warmer months our play table was back. We used to always have it in the shop before the virus hit, but we were forced to hide it away to stop germs spreading. It is lovely to have it back, kids love it. They often come just for a play while parents get their quick rest. We had a duck race in Holmfirth, which attracted loads of people and we cut 50 large ducks out of thick cardboard; kids and parents alike were queuing to get them decorated, it was a manic day. I always say I’m not just a toy shop to sell, being involved in the community and supplying various entertainment is just as important. I recently spoke to my staff to see if they might have noticed customers reflecting tougher times and tighter wallets but thankfully the news seems to own all the panic as we haven’t noticed it at all - in fact the complete opposite. Product alert: we cannot stop reordering NeeDoh from Bigjigs! We ordered every item from the line and every time we got a new delivery it disappeared within a few days. It is just so eye-catching! Plus, Tamagotchis are so popular as well. A while ago we took a bit of risk... We never have been a toy shop that sells licensed toys of any kind but we thought we could try to hopefully meet the needs of customers and have some of them in stock; a bit of Peppa Pig, a bit of Jurassic World, Batman and Marvel. We spent some money and did orders. Unfortunately, as we thought and knew, it would not sell at all for us. We decided not to ever take a similar risk. We are known for unique and niche products - we often get toys directly from France and Spain - and that’s what we will continue to do. That will be my main goal at Autumn Fair in September; to find something different, unique and quirky. We recently discovered some lovely French brands offering girls' handbags and accessories. I think there’s demand for it and it is very hard to find anything eye-catching in the UK. I might be wrong, but I'm still looking!! We are not thinking about Christmas yet. I always get some ideas and order at the end of August and at the NEC in September. But we are slowly starting to think about Hallowe'en as I’m known for spectacular shop decor. Last year we had giant ghosts hung outside covering the building and this year we need a new idea!
Diary of a Toy Shop
With parents being a popular audience, it opens a gateway for the children’s toy market to advertise. Using the trusted voices of podcasters who have young children themselves; like Stacy Solomon and her podcast Here We Go Again, advertisers can access the intimacy between the speaker and the Listeners will likely have an affiliation and rooted interest in the podcast they’re listening to, which makes targeted advertising much Generation Media is the UK and Ireland's largest independent media buyer of toys and games advertising. Visit generationmedia.co.uk or call 0207 307 7900 or email contact@generationmedia.co.uk to learn more
ANALYSISMEDIA
F or a long time, audio consumption has remained consistent and steady in the media landscape.
Within podcast advertising, the option to sponsor and obtain a ‘Host Read’ advert is available, which allows the host full autonomycreativeover the advertisement “ “
More recently, podcasting has significantly increased in popularity, and by 2021, the UK saw more than 19.1 million listeners, with this number predicted to increase. However, podcasts are not just a sensation of the past five to 10 years, rather, they first date back to 2004, but in a coarsely edited form and with little narrative structure. They were used as a platform for a digital stream of consciousness, with the speaker loosely following a theme or topic. Fast-forward 12 years to the latter end of 2016 where podcasting splintered out with differing objectives. It had grown to become explorative and focused on niche discussion points and subjects. People started to use podcasts as an avenue to educate themselves and spark new interests. Above all, podcasts had become a new platform for entertainment. Podcasts are now reaching a younger and more diverse audience, many of whom are parents - 26% of current weekly podcast listeners come from non-white backgrounds and with the average
Are podcasts here to stay? They’re a Generationpodcastschildrenincludingcommunicatewaynewtotoaudiences–hard-toreach-demographicsandespecially–butareausefulvehicleforadvertising?MediasenioraccountmanagerChrisSearonwhetherthesepodsareworthshellingoutfor…
easier. According to a recent survey completed by The Guardian, 65% of podcast listeners say they had paid attention when being served adverts while listening, unlike other mediums, such as TV where, they only command an interest rate of around 39%. This reveals a highly engaged audience, which we, as advertisers, can get in front of. Within podcast advertising, the option to sponsor and obtain a ‘Host Read’ advert is available, which allows the host full creative autonomy over the advertisement. While this may seem daunting, we have seen some of the best creative adverts when the host of the podcast has complete freedom to sculpt it into their familiar tone and style. Subsequently, the audience places a high level of trust in an advert when it is narrated by ‘their’ host. Being a part of a community that the host has built, the audience has a sense of connection to the host and authentic relationships are built. By partnering with the most relevant podcasts, advertisers can access a candid space of discussion and are able to bridge a common ground between the advert and the podcast. As a result, half of podcast listeners claim that the advertisements steer them to a purchase. Saying all this, is the popularity of podcasts just another trend? Can this growth of interest be sustained? The current risk in question is perhaps a worry of saturation. With the potential for ‘anyone’ to record a podcast and countless routes of interests to explore, the risk of the market becoming overpopulated is worth mentioning. However, to counter this, there's a limitless number of interests out there and advertisers have complete control over which podcast they appear on; access to listening figures making this decision rather simple. Recent figures from PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) suggest that publishers have reason to be optimistic about podcasting. According to its analysis, the UK podcast advertisement revenue currently stands at £37m, and this figure is predicted to grow to £64m by 2025 – 16 times more than the £4m the market was worth in 2016. Additionally, podcasts work in the same fashion as other media; if it’s not good, people aren’t going to listen. So, the potential concern for a saturation of listeners is not something that should deter future advertisers.
At a global level, the economy, finances and money make up three of the top five biggest concerns within the family space on average. As expenditure occupies a huge space in family decisions, it makes sense that parents are looking to appease their kids as well as themselves. When it comes to these non-essential purchases, parents are likely to lean more on their kids for input as they look to treat them and create memories together. As kids become more influential from a younger age, the family must be considered as a whole, with parents making purchase decisions on behalf of all family members. Understanding the attitudes, behaviours and consumption patterns of young consumers and building engagement across the family means increasing the likelihood that brand advocacy will be passed down the generations and shared to other friends andThefamily.Insights Family’s Making It Matter report looks at these trends in further detail, identifying the next big opportunities and challenges for leading brands in the Insightsget.theinsightsfamily.com/familyreport2022industry:*AlldatafromthelastsixmonthsofKidsdata(October2021–April2022) see more
indirect influence consideringcomingintoplayfrompreschoolers.Parentsarethewantsandneedsoftheveryyoungestchildren“ “ Why kids hold the key to household decision making
There have also been some significant increases in kid influence over treat purchases. For example, over the past six months, more parents with kids aged three to five report that their preschoolers influence decisions concerning treats (+12%), restaurants (+10%) and holidays (+10%).
Kids Insights
kids,
Understanding how to harness the power of word of mouth is crucial to generating excitement among kids and engaging the next generation. Kids rely heavily on the recommendations of their peers and look to be at the front of new trends. Kids aged six to nine in the UK who frequently purchase from toy shops are 13% more likely to agree that they look to purchase products that their friends like or already have. The influence of trends and friendship groups underline the need for brands to creating communities which hype up new toys, utilising social media or creatingMovingcrazes.outside of these more conventional ‘kid friendly’ sectors, we see a more indirect influence coming into play from pre-schoolers. Parents are implicitly considering the wants and needs of the very youngest children when deciding what to amongThispurchase.hasincreasedparentsinthe UK in the case of ‘larger’ household decisions such as smartphones (+14%), kitchen appliances (+13%) and new cars (+10%). The influence might be indirect when it comes to toddlers – as it’s unlikely toddlers can give direct influence on these purchases - however it is clear that parents are taking their opinions and preferences into consideration. Having kids is a key point in life that changes your attitudes, behaviours and consumptions.
The Insights Family’s real-time data portal measures both kids and parents’ influence over a number of different categories: everything from books to TV subscriptions. We see the influence of preschoolers in particular grow across the board when comparing 2020 and 2021 year-on-year. As kids become more central in family decisions, we see a shift away from the more traditional habit of parents making decisions. The sway kids have when it comes to purchasing power can be well understood when it comes to more kid-relevant products such as toys and board games. In Europe, 82% of parents with kids aged one to six say that their kid influences what toys they buy. The power that kids have over the purchase of toys indicates the need for brands to place the preferences of young consumers at the centre of product design and marketing strategies.
a
and
The Insights Family is the global leader in parents, and family market intelligence, providing real-time data on their attitudes, behaviours consumption patterns. surveys 7,780 children every week aged 3-18. Parents Insights surveys more than 3,800 parents of children between the ages of 1 and 16 every week. Both services operate in 22 countries across six continents and in total survey more than 469,040 kids and 228,800 parents a year. This means that the company interviews a new family member somewhere in the world every 45 seconds.
T he need to consider the family in today’s marketplace is becoming ever-more crucial. Brands have to appeal to parents and kids, and also understand how these relationships function together.
Over the past 12 months, Kids Insights data has shown that decision-making power is shifting within the family dynamic. Some 57% of parents in the UK with kids aged between one and three years old agree that their kid influences which household essentials they purchase.* As preschoolers gain more ground in family decisions, it is important for brands to understand how to appeal to younger consumers.
Photo by Max Fisch
Children importantincreasinglybecomingarewhenitcomestohouseholdpurchases-andtoysandgamesthefamilybuys.TheInsightsFamilylooksatthenewbreedofkidfluencers… INSIGHTCONSUMER We
Download your free copy here: get.theinsightsfamily.com/familyreport2022
toysnplaythings.media26 without us having at least one order for a party. We also do demos and play days through the holidays, all free of charge.
What do you offer that other toy shops don’t?
We celebratingareour30thbirthdaywithawholehostofactivitiesthroughoutthesummerforkidstocomein-storetotakepartin,alongwithcompetitionsandsocialmediagiveaways “
TnP chats to Emma Dadswell , director of Toys ‘N’ Tuck in the Essex town of Southend-on-Sea, which clocked up 30 years of trading in July
The other key service that we offer is our Savings Club, which allows customers to reserve items they want and spread the cost. How would you describe your range? Everything you want - plus the bits you didn’t even know you wanted until you came in. We like to think there is something for everyone. We deal with 100-plus suppliers, of which probably about 80% trade through [buying group] Toymaster. So, all the big names for sure, such as LEGO, Mattel, Funko and so on.
”
We are always expanding and trying to incorporate lines that we think our customers would be interested in, but would not necessarily think we would carry. The area that I find is forever changing is our collectables for college kids and upwards. Our range of animé is growing and growing this year. In-store, we try to offer the best experience possible and to make our customers' lives easy for them. We have a website and offer free click-and-collect and free local delivery with a minimum spend of We£20.also offer a gift wrap service in-store for a small charge (and via the website) which is popular all year round for parties, but especially at Christmas time. So if you’re running late to a party, it can all be taken care of on the wayWethere!have Toymaster gift vouchers available in-store too. And in our sweet range, we make party bags to order - and not a week goes by
We have been a member of Toymaster for more than 10 years. Being a member is great, because it opens so many doors to suppliers, and brings opportunities to learn from fellow members. The Toymaster team members based in Northampton are so nice too: they are always on hand to help out, however big or small a problem might be. Tell us about Toys ‘N’ Tuck. This year we are 30 years old! My dad started the business way back when, in the Essex town of South Woodham Ferrers where we lived. He grew the business over the years and, at our most, we had five stores and a warehouse in Essex. Due to many changes over the years he decided to scale down and have just the one big store to focus his full attention on. And that’s where we are now, in the Essex seaside resort of Southendon-Sea.Why are we called Toys ‘N’ Tuck? Well, we are a toy shop first and foremost, but we’ve always carried a sweet range alongside the toys, which has proved to be a great addon. In recent years, we’ve expanded into making party bags and our own pick 'n' mix treat bags. The only problem is, whenever we get a new sweet delivery, I want to try everything!
RETAIL INTERVIEW TOYS ‘N’ TUCK Toys ‘N’ Tuck turns thirty
What’s next for Toys ‘N’ Tuck? There are no big future plans at the moment. We’re just focusing on the shop and making it the best it canButbe.we are celebrating our 30th birthday with a whole host of activities throughout the summer for kids to come instore to take part in, along with competitions and social media giveaways. I can’t wait! Some of the activities we have planned are a LEGO speed building competition running for a week, along with some awesome giveaways; a whole Sylvanian Families competition week, with a special window feature and character appearances in-store; a Playmobil weekend jam-packed with play tables and character appearances; and Pokémon trading card days, again with some giveaways. We will also have lots of make & take and demo days spread throughout the holidays including CreArt from Ravensburger, Hey Clay from Tomy, Eugy from Brainstorm, and Smart Games, to name just a few. We always get such great feedback from customers on our free events. With it being so hard to entertain kids for the six weeks of the summer school holiday, they really all
SellersBestTop “It’s
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job? Seeing that money roll in at Christmas, and knowing you must have made some good choices along the way!
And the most challenging? Making sure we have enough of the right stuff to make the money roll in!
Coming off a week of selling hundreds of Stranger Things Capsules from KAP Toys, I would say those. But for the most part, at the moment we are all Funko, Pokémon, LEGO and sweets. There are other little gems doing well too, but I can’t give everything away! How is trading for you? Touch wood, it’s been good - which isn’t what I’m hearing from everyone. So I’m just keeping my head down and hoping it continues. How do you attract new customers and maintain the interest of existing ones? It’s all about keeping good stock on our evergreen ranges, making sure there is a constant flow of newness coming through in all areas, and not being afraid to try something new.
I’m quite lucky with 99% of my suppliers because I have reps and agents who are happy to come and see me when I like, and go through things. I speak to nearly all of them on a monthly basis, some even weekly. I like to be on top of things quickly, and I think people know that, so they try to keep me in the loop ahead of time where possible. I attend Toy Fair, Spring Fair and Autumn Fair every year, along with my favourite exhibition: the Toymaster May Show. What's your selection criteria? Does it look cool? Will it stand out on the shelf? And is it priced right to sell? What’s popular at the moment?
seem to appreciate something for nothing - even though nine times out of 10, once they are in the store, they end up making a purchase anyway! Are you looking at expanding into new categories? I’m always looking into new trends and lines that would sit alongside our offering and add a point of difference to the shop. What are you most excited about for Autumn/Winter?
The injection of newness into the store. One of my favourite things is just clearing out the old and filling up with the new.
We also try to keep the store looking as well maintained as possible, as a tidy shop is so much easier to shop.
keepingaboutgoodstockonourevergreenranges,makingsurethereisaconstantflowofnewnesscomingthroughinallareas,andnotbeingafraidtotrysomethingnew “ ” ■ Funko Pop Vinyls ■ KAP Toys Stranger Things Capsules ■ Pokémon Boosters ■ SquishmallowsJazwares ■ LEGO Minifigures
27AUGUST 2022
How do you find products?
What’s your favourite toy or game? I don’t really have a favourite toy or game - I’m very fickle and change my mind quite often. But I will say I’m a fan of a Squishmallow.
I've always been a sucker for toys and games - the more unusual the better. I can't help buying cool things. I own more kites than anyone I know! Although there are toy shops on most high streets focused on children's play, I spotted a gap in the market. Our focus is around families having fun together - getting off their electronic devices and interacting. Tell us about Totally Awesome. We opened our first store in
28 products. Yes, of course, we have a complementary pocket money range for impulse purchases. But, for example, our range of remotecontrol cars and quadcopters is backed by a fully replaceable spare parts service. So if a part was to break, it can be fixed for longevity. And our skateboards are all certified skatepark-ready, so will take the hammerings that kids may give them on ramps and rails, and won't delaminate or self-destruct.
RETAIL INTERVIEW TOTALLY AWESOME
“We've created a really fun concept that just works”
Bridge in West Yorkshire with some trepidation - not having the comfort blanket of regular monthly pay cheques but having a gut instinct that it would do well in the town. A year later in summer 2018 we took on a unit in an amazing historic building called The Piece Hall in Halifax. And in summer 2020 - right in the middle of lockdown when all retail was forced to close - we took on another larger store in York, close to The Shambles [one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe].
Third, our stores are very interactive. We engage with customers in a different way. In each of our stores we have a central demo area running down the middle where products are unboxed. We play games with customers. We allow them to test products such as our skill toys, juggling props, and gadgets, and we have a remote-control car that customers can try. Plus, all our models are on display. Our customers know us for being different - they regularly discover new products and have fun in the stores. We've developed a strong following and many come in just to hang out What’s your background? Neither of us come from a retail background. I (Aamir) spent 30 years in corporate IT and, prior to starting Totally Awesome, I was running a multi-million pound IT outsourcing contract. My partner Lisa has spent most of her working life in food and beverage. Before taking a massive leap of faith in Totally Awesome, she managed a busy kitchen. Why did you decide to open a toy shop?
toysnplaythings.media
First, the blend of products that we sell. There's no point in competing with Argos or Amazon, so we take care to source products that you don't normally find on the high street; products that inspire and engage. We are very proud that we were the first in the UK to stock several products such as Kluster and Plakks, and we worked hard to line up a distribution channel to source them.
That's three new shops in three years. What sets you apart from competitors?
havingfocusOurisaroundfamiliesfuntogether-gettingofftheirelectronicdevicesandinteracting “ ” TnP talks to Aamir Yusu f and Lisa Fox , co-owners of three-strong toy chain Totally Awesome in Yorkshiresummer2017atHebden
Second, we only stock high-quality
inspiring kids’ imaginations for 50 years Guess How Much I Love You Large Nutbrown Hare Very CaterpillarHungryLargePlush My First Peter Rabbit™ and Flopsy Bunny™ Spot Wooden Blocks SpotSoftSmallT Peter Rabbit Wooden Pull AlongVery Hungry Caterpillar Shape Puzzle Guess How Much I Love You Wooden Balancing Toy aPlaytimendCuddles! Tmalloy SpotWooden PlAdorableushandWoodenCharacterToys
Having fun with customers. It's great seeing customers laugh and leave with smiles on their faces.
Lisa would say Klask, but for me it’s the 27 kites that I own! Is there anything else you would like to add? We're proud of what we've achieved over the past five years and, despite retail challenges, we've created a unique experience - and we don't intend to rest on our laurels.
Kluster (in the three days before Christmas we sold 280 copies!), Klask, Genius Square, Cobra Paw, and Pokémon. What lines have you started stocking recently? We have sourced Plakks from Spain and are the first in the UK to stock it. How is trading generally for you? 2021 was our best trading year ever, despite forced Covid-related retail closure. Trade was great in the last quarter. Q1 is normally our quietest period, but we spent time preparing for the rest of the year. Sales have been consistent ever since. Kluster Klask Genius Square Cobra Paw ■ Pokémon
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
And what’s the most challenging?
Sourcing. We have to order and replenish stock at a pace, so keeping up is difficult at times - as well as finding new things to keep customers interested.
What's your favourite toy or game?
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Previously we didn't cater for preschool, mainly because it was dominated by the big brands. But recently we have found alternatives that are super high-quality and not normally found on the high street. For example, we’ve added a preschool range from Bigjigs of sustainable, eco-friendly, long-lasting toys, which are already doing well. What’s next for your business? We've got some boring stuff to do such as better inventory management across our three stores, consolidating around a smaller set of suppliers, and dropping some products to make way for new discoveries.
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toysnplaythings.media30 with us, even if they don't intend to buy thatWe'veday. created a really fun concept that just works. It's not like working in a shop - we go to work to have fun. Our Tripadvisor and Google reviews just speak for themselves: we're rated the number one shop in Hebden Bridgeand I don't believe there is another shop like ours in the country. How would you describe your range? We have a blend of products that are aimed at families having fun together. What are your key categories?
Are you looking at expanding into new categories?
Fair, and occasionally the Toymaster show. Plus, we visit toy stores when we’re abroad, and have discovered many gems that way.
It's got to be non-mainstream, high-quality and fun for all ages. What’s proving popular at the moment? Pokémon just flies. Firm favourites among our customers are Klask and Genius Square from The Happy Puzzle Company: I believe we sell more of both than any other independent. Cobra Paw and Kluster are constantly popular. Skateboards are making a resurgence, and STEM toys are popular presents. What are your top five best sellers?
Outdoor toys such as Frisbees, stunt scooters, electric scooters, longboards, skateboards and kites; skill toys such as a range of Rubik's-type cubes; juggling, cardistry and magic; flying toys; board games, puzzles and jigsaws; gadgets; remote-control vehicles; STEM toys; and a large range of playing cards, plus some collectables. How many suppliers do you deal with? About 20. Key names are Asmodee, Big Potato Games, Recent Toys, Paul Lamond, Winning Moves, Gen42, Smart Games, Marvin's Magic, JWS (for juggling), CML Distribution (for remotecontrol vehicles), and Stateside Skates and TKC (for skateboards). How do you find products? We attend Toy Fair, Spring Fair, Autumn
SellersBestTop alwaysI'vebeenasuckerfortoysandgames-themoreunusualthebetter.Ican'thelpbuyingcoolthings.IownmorekitesthananyoneIknow!“ ” ■
What products do you hope will do well for summer? We discovered a flying disc game called Canoff! and met the inventor at Spring Fair. It's two poles, two bases, two can mounts, and a flying disc. [For the full Canoff experience you can add a set of official Canoff cans. They are made from a thicker metal to withstand more impact and live a longer life than a standard can]. We think it will do well.
What's your selection criteria?
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SpinlicencebecontinuesDollhouseGabby’s2022,toastandoutforMaster“ “ publishing, original music, a toprated app and a growing YouTube channel garnering millions of weekly views. Its Netflix transmission has been key to increasing awareness for the show and, in turn, boosting sales, with ever-growing viewership driving that. Now, as the property enters its second year, it is still one of the top kids’ series on Netflix, regularly hitting the Top 10 as each season releases. Spin Master boarded the property early and it’s been rewarded with strong sales. The toys were a runaway hit in 2021” says Barnes, “making it the number one new toy property globally, per NPD. The design team has done a fantastic job of bringing the magic of the show into homes and sales have exceeded our expectations.
The series was created and executive produced by celebrated storytellers Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey, whose CVs include hit shows such as Blue’s Clues and Team Umizoomi and a wealth of experience at the likes of Nickelodeon. For the uninitiated, Gabby’s Dollhouse is a mixed media preschool series that unboxes a surprise before jumping into a fantastical animated world full of adorable cat characters that live inside Gabby’s Dollhouse. Rooted in growth mindset, Gabby’s activity-based episodes encourage flexible thinking and learning from your mistakes. The popular series has inspired manysuccessfulincludingexpansionsatoyline, I t was one of the success stories of 2021 – it was the number one new toy property worldwide for the year – and now DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse is strengthening its position with the launch of the fifth season on Netflix and widening its scope with more toys due from Spin Master in July to add to the existing range. As Spin Master’s senior vice president for international Hedley Barnes notes: “Since the debut of DreamWorks Animation’s hit series herfriendpartyonehavearoundDollhouse,Gabby’skidstheworldbeenhavingbigsprinklewiththeirnewGabbyandkittyfriends.”
COVER STORY SPIN MASTER
The Magic
With a growing army of young fans, preschool series Gabby’s Dollhouse is in its second year as a key DreamWorks Animation series and it’s moving from Netflix screens and into more and more homes, with an ever-expanding toy range from Spin Master . Here the company assesses its success so far and looks forward to more Dollhouse delights…
Gabby’sofDollhouse
In
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Hedley Barnes, Spin Master’s senior vice president for international NPD for both the first and second
quarter.”WithSeason5nowairingonNetflix,SpinMastersaiditwas“expectingcontinueddemand for new toy launches”, with the next batch hitting shelves this month.
“Since the debut of DreamWorks Animation’s hit series Gabby’s Dollhouse, kids around the world have been having one big sprinkle party with their new friend Gabby and her kitty friends”
“In 2022, Gabby’s Dollhouse continues to be a standout license for Spin Master.”ItsDollhouse theme gives it a perfect entry into the world of toys, it’s a familiar concept for parents, while the series itself is both rooted in the traditional but also very modern and now. As Spin Master’s Barnes explains: “The series definitely has a playful and toyetic feel to it with loveable characters that kids can engage with. The dollhouse setting is ideal to build out the world of toys and allow children to play out their own activities at home from dressing up Gabby to cooking with Cakey Cat.” Chief among the product already out there is the giant Purrfect Playset, which, as Barnes notes, has been performing exceptionally well. “The Purrfect Playset is a hero item in the line and was so popular at launch that the item was difficult to find at retail. The playset was the #1 item in the Play Set Figures and Accessories class per
19AUGUST 2022
“We have launched a line of 10 items in the UK to help build the Gabby’s Dollhouse ecosystem at home, while becoming Gabby with a nice collection of roleplay and mini figures,” says Hedley Barnes.Thekey product call outs include the full-sized dollhouse priced at £79.99, deluxe rooms (featuring Pillow Cats Bedroom, Mercat’s Bathroom, DJ Catnip Groovy Music Room) at £17.99, Cativity Packs (£11.99), and Gabby’s Magical Music Ears £16.99. As Barnes says: “All of these items are to be sure hits for the holidays!”Andit’s not just this year too – Spin Master is already looking ahead to next year for Gabby’s Dollhouse too. “There’s more product innovation and development is to come for 2023 with new themes and adventures!” concludes Barnes.
Sam Lockey, sales director at The Puppet Company concurs: “It is a great way for us to connect with buyers, review ranges and display options to help them create a story in their retail setting, ensuring great sales as well as receiving feedback. This show and Spring Fair are very important to acquiring new customers and maintaining contact with our existing customers.
It’s the unique nature of Autumn Fair that gives it an appeal. The timing is key – coming just ahead of the crucial fourth quarter. And the way it works, with exhibitors physically taking orders from retailers and fulfilling them well ahead of the busiest time of year, make it an essential part of the Q4 business. Moreover, the addition of small, independent suppliers, some from overseas, who retailers may not know 34
I f there’s one thing that the pandemic taught many in the toy trade about trade shows it’s that even for the most jaded visitor or exhibitor, love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s nothing that can take the place of a good tradeLastshow.year’s Autumn Fair event, deemed by organisers Hyve to be a huge success – and the first since Covid-19 first struck back in 2020 - highlighted to retailers and exhibitors alike just why these events are so crucial to business, especially in the run-up to December 25. And with exhibitors long absent from the Birmingham event returning to the fray for the first time in some years, as well as returning exhibitors and some new ones, organisers at Hyve believe the event is more essential than“Theever.pandemic reminded people of the importance of Autumn Fair,” says Hyve’s key account director Bhavika Pattni. “It’s something you can’t replace. Being away from the trade show, people have realised how much they missed it. “Last year’s was a really successful show and people are really looking forward to Autumn Fair.” It’s the contact, either in the shape of retailers and exhibitors being able to press the flesh, talk to each other and to physically see products up close and personal that really highlight the importance of a trade“Weshow.believe that trade shows play such an important
tofeedback.receiveopportunityimmediate“ItKerriegeneralCoiledspringiscommunicationface-to-facesetting,postparticularlyrole,inapandemicaskey,”saysmanagerCorrigan.isalsoantovaluable“Beingablephysically
We believe that showstradeplay such an particularlyrole,importantin a post settingpandemic KerriegeneralCoiledspringmanagerCorrigan “ “ Keel
see the product, packaging and size makes a big difference, as sometimes pictures don’t capture the true essence of the games, puzzles and jigsaws in our range. Lines such as Wrebbit 3D puzzles are best seen in real life! Moreover, quick demos to get a feel for the games on our stand is something that can only be experienced in person.”
“The show fits perfectly for us to support our new and upcoming releases into the autumn. We enjoy meeting our buyers and new customers, so a busy show like this and Spring Fair are key. It is nice to be out again and meeting buyers as we recover from the pandemic times.”
toysnplaythings.media
AUTUMNPREVIEWFAIR
Autumn Fair comes before the fall
The returning Autumn Fair in 2022 was one of the industry’s first events to take place as the country began to emerge from the pandemic. And it highlighted just how important events such as this are…
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Hippychick
Thames & Kosmos University Games
“The trend for crafting continues to remain popular with brands including Stitching Me Softly, King Cole, Hawthorn Handmade, and the Crafty Kit Company showing.”
independentandAutumnourtolookingareFinchdirectorinnovationstudiocompany’sandKeithsays:“WeverymuchforwardattendingfirstFairmeeting retailers interested in the Build Your Own brand. Following the success of Spring Fair, we can’t wait to showcase our growing range of kits and receive feedback.” He too, says that meeting retailers is essential. “We started as an online brand in 2020 due to the pandemic,” Finch explains, “so events like Autumn Fair are especially important for retailer engagement and direct feedback. To date, we have had limited time to meet people in real life, and that is so often where the magic lookinghappens!“Weareforward to meeting welcomeandsourceFairthelearningnetworkingretailers,andmoreaboutindustry.Autumnwillbeafantasticofinspirationwewillgladlyfeedbackon our kits, and being part of theHecommunity.”believes it will supportYourforopportunityanwillbusinesssidesandthebetweenthestrengthenfurtherbondsretailsupplyoftheto.“AutumnFairprovideimportantBuildOwntoindependent retailers who purchased from us earlier in the year,” he concludes. “With innovative new kits launching for Christmas 2022, we will have an exciting range of products to share with retailers in the run-up to the festive toy season.”
The Puppet Company’s Lockey said: “We want to excite our buyers, let them know we are here to support them and that we are producing new ranges to keep driving sales. Ultimately it is about growth, sustainability and communicating the great things we have been doing, like introducing two sustainable eco-friendly ranges, with more being planned.
Halilt
35AUGUST 2022 about, adds to the show’s allure. “I can’t wait to go to the NEC in September for Autumn Fair and search for something totally different, hopefully from brands and companies abroad,” notes TnP columnist Maggie Tibbenham, a director at Imagine Toy Shop, Holmfirth, West Yorks. “I often get beautiful products from France and Spain and those sell very well for me as the quality is superb and it’sTheunique.”connection between retailers and the supplier side, the ability to jointly enthuse each other, be it from seeing new product or finding something special tucked away for retailers, and for suppliers to get their product in retailers’ faces, is another key element.What’s more, given the launch of some aspandemic,aroundcompaniestheaswellnewexhibitors and retailers, there really is an opportunity for attendees to have a first meeting with their contemporaries.
Look out for sustainable brands Mai Clothing, the first-ever plantable children’s books from Willsow, Keel Toys, and Lanka Kade’s fairtrade toys, along with Alphabet Jigsaws, Beehive Toys, Inside Out Toys, Click Europe and the cutest, cuddliest puppets from The Puppet Company.
Build Your Own is one of those exhibitorsnewat the event and, as the
“We have a number of new and exciting ranges that have been very popular, so it is great to show these off physically as photos don’t do justice to the range. It is great when buyers stop and comment on our ranges, or we see heads turn.”
Along with new exhibitors, and returning and who’sinmouth-wateringlookline-upattendees,regularthedoesprettytermsofonoffer
Find brands TY UK, One for Fun, University Games, Thames & Kosmos, House of Marbles and Kidicraft, joined by newcomers Redfits, The Toy Tribe, Hachette Board Games, NMR Brands UK, Spinning Poodle Games, and Halilit.
Back at Hyve, the company’s Bhavika concludes: “A trade show has a captive audience. You can meet everyone in a day, source new product, see and touch ranges. Without this kind of show, the trade would not be able to meet new buyers, who won’t make that order. It all leads on from this.”
Along with new exhibitors, and returning and regular attendees, the line-up does look pretty mouthwatering in terms of who’s on offer. As Autumn Fair’s statement notes: “Offering a celebration of the most beautiful, handcrafted toys, brainteasing puzzles and must-have tech gadgets, the Kids, Toys and Play sector taps into the hottest trends and predicts what’s going to be popular at Christmas.
University challenge
University Games and Lagoon have not just one but two stands brimming with fun and exciting games, puzzles and gifts at Autumn Fair this year. There really is something for everyone, from early preschool through to adult party games, and for the whole family in between…Visitorsto Autumn Fair won’t want to miss University Games’ impressive display of more than 45 3D puzzles and model kits of famous buildings and icons from some of the biggest blockbusters, including Star Wars, Disney, Marvel, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. The new Star Wars model kits include the iconic Millennium Falcon, Imperial AT-AT, the famous droid R2-D2 and Boba Fett’s Starfighter. Also on display will be the new 3D Puzzles of The Avengers Tower, Iron Man’s Helmet and the beautiful Arendelle Castle from Frozen, as well as the bestselling Harry Potter 3D Puzzle range including Hogwarts Castle, The Burrow and the Diagon Alley series.
Posh Paws 01268 www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk567317
As part of Posh Paws’ commitment to producing sustainable products, its new Eco Earth animal soft toy collection features 24 high-quality animals from across the globe in both 12in and 6in sizes. The entire Eco Earth animal range has been specially designed and produced to use the highest-quality fabrics and stuffing - all made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste plastic bottles and food containers. It doesn’t stop there, the hang-tags have been printed on 100% recycled craft paper, using soy-based inks and string fastenings, delivering Psh Paws’ most sustainable and eco-friendly product.
PLUSHFEATURETOYS
713000 Thames and Kosmos has been exhibiting at Autumn Fair for the past 10 years and consider it to be one of the highlights of the show calendar for meeting new customers andThereold. will be several new releases available at the show including Ultra Bionic Blaster and two new STEM kits from the Kids First range, Intro to Tools and Building and Intro to Gears. The Thames and Kosmos Gyroscope can be seen for the first time at the show. The perfect stocking filler and sure to be a best seller for AW22. Thames and Kosmos is looking forward to meeting customers new and old, at stand 20B45. Please book an appointment with jo@thamesandkosmos.co.uk or drop by to say hello, when you’re passing.
Dip in the Thames THAMES AND KOSMOS
The Posh Paws licensed range of Swizzels Love Hearts plush toys and gifting lines continues to be one of the company’s most popular and highly sought-after collections, and this autumn it is adding new characters to the range. For Christmas gifting there’s the Have A Cracking Christmas Nutcracker and You Melt My Heart Snowman characters, and a premium I Love You Always White Bear that will deliver some much-needed festive cheer. Ahead of this winter’s football World Cup, you can order the new Greatest of all Time Frankie the Football, who will be cherished by football fans. The Swizzels Mugs and Mug & Plush gift sets complement the range and will make for a great Christmas present.
University Games and Lagoon 0207 254 www.thelagoongroup.co.ukwww.university-games.co.uk0100
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University Games’ new Party Game Night is certain to get the party started as friends and family act, draw, bluff and guess their way through a hilarious night of entertainment. Family favourites also on display will include Smart Ass, Who’s In The Bag and Perudo, alongside the classic Subbuteo range, which celebrates its 75th Anniversary this year. With the FIFA World Cup kicking off just ahead of the festive period, this range, which includes the Subbuteo Official England Main Game and Subbuteo England Lionesses Main Game as well as a special 75th Anniversary edition, gives retailers a goal-tastic opportunity to get into the football spirit. There’s also plenty of fun and entertainment available in University Games’ adult party games catalogue where the games have been designed with grown-ups in mind. The brilliant Bigger Is Better, Judge Your Friends and Don’t Drink And Draw are just some of the hilarious games to choose from for an evening in with friends. As the popularity of murder mystery nights continue to grow, Lagoon has thought of everything when it comes to hosting a great crime-busting evening. Presented in whiskey-style gift tubes, Murder Mystery In Paris, Murder At The Tower Of London and Murder Mystery Aboard The RMS Titania all contain six different plots so the dinner party, crime-solving fun can be continued. University Games also has plenty of murder mystery fun on offer with six best-selling dinner party games, a host of murder mystery puzzles and two new titles joining the Case Files series including
5% off £500 order and 10% off £1000 order* *Delivery by end October. Terms and Conditions apply Stand 20D54-E55 Meet us at MERCHANDISING OPTIONS AND FULL PRODUCT ORDER FORM AVAILABLE ON REQUEST Full Range Available Sales@winningmoves.co.ukwww.winningmoves.co.ukOnline+44(0)2072989515
THE
PUPPET COMPANY 01462www.thepuppetcompany.com446040
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Recognising the increasing affinity for all things Buddy the Elf, the board game also sits alongside the Elf Top Trumps Match and Elf 1000-piece puzzle to complete the range. Keeping in the festive spirit, it’s only fair to remind you of some other family favourite Christmas lines: the Love Actually Monopoly and 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. The cult classic movie has been immortalised in a puzzle montage and classic board game featuring fans’ favourite moments and characters.MonopolyThe also comes with bespoke tokens. When looking for small, stocking filler gifts for Christmas, Winning Moves has also got your customers covered. The Top Trumps range incorporates more than 100 titles, and continues to grow from strength to strength each year. The range is continually expanded and refreshed – with 17 new releases this year alone – and covers everything from the latest trends to some nostalgic favourites. And it’s not just for kids either – there are plenty for adults as well. That way the whole family can enjoy the country’s number one card game when they open their stockings.
As usual, Winning Moves will be offering its standard trade show deal of 5% off £500 order, and 10% off £1000 order. Delivery by the end of October, and other terms and conditions apply.
Winning Moves 0207 262 9696 winningmoves.co.uk
atableFairAutumnyou’llbetoseethe new My First Christmas Puppets, which are toy.fromrecommendedbirth,machinewashableandagreatfirstsoftThegreatthingaboutthisisthatanadulthandfits into the puppet to enjoy early play sessions. The range makes a fantastic stocking filler. The individual puppets are available from November 2022 and include eight fantastic designs including a Penguin, Polar Bear, Reindeer, Gingerbread Man, an Elf, a Snowman, and Mr and Mrs Santa. Just hitting retail will be the new medium and large sizes of knitted dinosaurs, which have been a huge hit with buyers at the shows. These designs include the popular T-Rex and Brontosaurus, as well as a fantastic Triceratops.
Winning Moves has always viewed Autumn Fair as a brilliant way at Autumn Fair. The highlight of the Q4 season, and in turn Christmas, is undoubtedly Elf Monopoly. Already featured on LADBible, Winning Moves is expecting this to be a fan favourite, and with bespoke tokens based on icons and motifs from the beloved movie, expects the game will find a home on Christmas tables up and down the country.
toysnplaythings.media AUTUMNPREVIEWFAIR The national Elf service
The Eco Walking Puppets, which are made from eight recycled plastic models, was a finalist in the Gift of the Year awards. The recently launched Eco Cuddlies, which are each made from seven recycled plastic bottles, have seen significant demand, which the company experienced at Spring Fair. Buyers will have a chance to see them in person again as the range is so soft and cute. There are more than 600 products, which means there is something for everyone. Clearly this was the case as the company says: “buyers at Harrogate kept us busy and off our feet, with lots of our best sellers being popular as ever and new buyers setting up accounts, which of course we are delighted with.’’
Hall:Stand:20D54-E55 Hall: F40-G41Stand:20
Strings attached
After the Bumper Fidget Box won Craze of the Year at London Toy Fair, One For Fun’s track record of picking winning best sellers continues. Stretchy, squishy, spikey, shiny, sparkly and scary are the themes for next year’s pocket money lines with a special mention for the Fidget Slug. Already flying out, these adorable posable fidget slugs are made up of interlocking cups and are available in rainbow, glow-in-the-dark and a range of neon colours. The Rainbow Fidget Slug has just won an award in this year’s Right Start Awards along with the range of Dinosaur head tubs (large or small) which open to reveal a collection of mini dinosaurs, the heads are available in T- Rex or Triceratops form and One For Fun expects them to to take a huge bite out of the pocket money market. Take a look at the Squishy Cute Animal Tub, too; adorable, squeezable and unputdownablesquishyfriends.OneforFunbrings even more fidgets with its Scrunchems range from Tobar; a top seller, these fidget balls include glowin-the-dark, textured and sensory.Nothing is more sensory than plush and visitors should check out the new glow-in-thedark plush range, Dream Beams. This brand from Happy Line Toys has cute, plush glow-in-the-dark characters, each given added collectability with imaginative back stories from a Dream Beams World. They are designed to be cuddly companions 24/7 with their unique glow-in-the-dark capability. These bedtime buddies even glow differently.
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The Animigos range of plush also has some great additions in the World Of Nature range, and the wooden toy collection is created from wood and packaging, which now has FSC accreditation as One for Fun continues to develop sustainable product lines. The FSC logo will appear on the packaging for the relevant products.
Up BUILD YOUR OWN
Building
www.oneforfun.com
on39AUGUST 2022 One love One For
Paper Engine is the creator of Build Your Own, an award-winning range of eco-friendly children’s toys you can build yourself. A fresh and fast-growing start-up, Build Your Own will be showcasing some exciting new product launches at Autumn Fair 2022. Made from sustainable cardboard, the STEM-inspired kits are great fun to build and provide hours of entertainment. The company invites visitors to come and visit its stand to play! You’ll find fun-filled, eco-friendly kits for visitors to enjoy, including new Christmas launches – an awesome Labyrinth and a colourful Kaleidoscope. Plus, the innovative new Dinosaur Mini Builds, which include four dino favourites - Tyrannosaurus Rex, Ankylosaurus, Pteranodon, and Mosasaurus.Thegrowing range – both original kits and the new smaller-sized Mini Builds –are suitable for children aged eight-plus but are best enjoyed as a family experience. They are loved by big kidsAssembledtoo! using simple slot-together techniques, there’s no glue, no mess, no fuss. Everything you need is provided in the kit. Build Your Own kits are made from high-quality, sustainable materials, with minimal plastics. The eco-friendly packaging is 100% recyclable, and the company ethos is ‘Less Build Your Own says: “We will continue to push the boundaries in 2022 and beyond as we develop our range of sustainable products and bring exciting paper mechanics (along with an educational/STEM element) to the market. We thrive Fun
023 5855 www.buildyourownkits.com
VividSpinMaster
40 PLAYGROUNDFEATURE CRAZES
Back to playgroundthe
toysnplaythings.media or £3, making them accessible for many children. The Loom Band craze was great for developing children’s fine motor, concentration and creativity skills. There are always hidden learning and developmental opportunities in these toys, which children may not access as frequently without the toy. The best way for children to learn is through play, and the playground craze toys enable them to do exactly this!
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“There’s many benefits to the craze of collectable cards too, they encourage discussion and conversation with their peers, develop reading skills, and require the child to use their organisational skills. Children learn life skills such as understanding the effects of trading and swapping cards – once they’ve given it away they can’t get it back and they begin to understand the value placed on different cards and why, which are all really important skills to transfer into the real world.’’
“Take the fidget spinners for example; these were traditionally used by children with additional needs who required sensory feedback and support to self-regulate in the classroom. As they became popular it removed any potential stigmas associated with them and supported inclusion. As with many tools and strategies that are put in place for children with additional needs, it can also support the other children too, and the popularity of a fidget toy meant all children were able to use the spinners to help them to self-regulate and be in a better place for learning once returning back to the classroom.
From fidget spinners and Loom Bands to trading cards and collectables, there’s always something to keep them amused – and the tills ringing before the Christmas rush begins.
A s the children head back to school (in August in Scotland and Ireland and September in the UK), the sales of big-ticket items and outdoor toys might start to drop off, but the good news is that there’s always a playground craze to keep them comingProbablyback.the bane of teachers everywhere, kids love to collect and compare small toys in the playground (and more annoyingly the classroom!)
Ruth Lue-Quee is the founder and educational & inclusion consultant at My Mummy Teacher toproductssellsmymummyteacher.com),(www.whicheducationalandplayfultosupportchildrenlearnthroughplay.She was previously a deputy headteacher.Shesays:“As a deputy head and class teacher I saw many playground craze toys over the years… fidget spinners, collectable cards, Loom Bands, the list goes on. Don’t get me wrong, there were many occasions when they could become somewhat of a nightmare for teachers having to get children to put them away during lessons, but equally I have seen many benefits to these must-have playground crazes.
removedclassroom.torequiredusedwereFidgetspinnerstraditionallybychildrenwithadditionalneedswhosensoryfeedbackandsupportself-regulateintheAstheybecamepopularitanypotentialstigmasassociatedwiththemandsupportedinclusion
Ruth Lue-Quee, founder, My Mummy Teacher “ As the summer holidays come to a close and the kids start heading back to school, playground crazes, pocket money toys and collectables start to take on more importance for the toy retailer…
One For Fun is one supplier that has plenty to offer in this category. We asked CEO David Mordecai about the sector and its impact on the Kidsbusiness:arebackat school post-pandemic and back on the playgrounds, has this helped business? It’s always good when we have kids back together again anyway, and yes it’s good to see them sharing crazes too and swapping toys and having fun. Anything like this helps our businessbut to be honest I am just glad they are able to be back at school. How will the cost of living crisis affect the pocket money and playground craze sector? We are planning to increase this sector and as these are low-cost items to the consumer we think they will hold their own. There is obviously potential for growth as gift buying may become more cost-conscious. How has kids’ use of online and social media apps such as Tik Tok changed the business?
“This category is really important, they’re what bring the kids in. So even though the sale value and often the margins are low on the pocket money crazes it keeps people coming back so that they remember that there’s a toy shop here when it comes to buying the biggervalue party presents, birthday presents and Christmas presents.’’
Character Options One For Fun
What are your key products for the rest of the year? Loads of variations on fidgets, Pushpoppers, muddle puzzles - and our range of Scrunchems balls are flying out. Our mini beasts and the accompanying tubs are really popular and can be topped up for a very low retail price. And how do those products reflect the changes in the market? We are constantly bringing in new items to compensate for a shorter craze period; product development have to work on a shorter time cycle to keep interest high. Thankfully we are always looking ahead. How are you communicating those products consumers?to Through social media, bloggers and mainstream PR. Our fidget toys were in the national media again this month. Looking beyond this year, where do you see the market heading in 2023? Given the productsareisconditions,currentgrowthexpected.Thesecost-effectiveatatime when we are all focused on the cost of living. What are you doing to make your business more sustainable? At One for Fun we do strive to be as environmentally friendly as we can and as such we are now moving all our classic wooden toys and wooden pocket money items over to not just FSC wood but FSC packaging, too. Our Animigos plush range is already filled with recyclable stuffing. Visitors to the Autumn Fair can take a look –we will be on Stand 20 – G40-H41. “ These are lowcost items to the consumer so we think they will hold their own. There is obviously potential buyingforgrowthasgiftmaybecomemorecost-consciousDavidMordecai,CEOOneForFun“
Vicky Brown runs two shops in South London/ Kent; Just Williams Toys in East Dulwich and Beckenham: “Playground crazes, where do I start! This changes all the time and between my two shops. At the moment Scoobidou and fidget toys (fidget spinner and fidget track) are very popular. However, squishy toys of any formbe it anything from a mesh ball to a squishy parsnip - never seem to ease in popularity. But I guess they fit perfectly into a pocket and are very tactile. We purchase our playground pocket money toys from a wide range of places including HTI, One for Fun and Muddleit. There items are really important to our business as they are volume purchases that are regular and affordable. They are a big part of the business.’’
Tremendously - many of the latest crazes start with streaming online and sharing. Pushpoppers was really helped by this as are all fidget toys. Our Scrunchem ball range and also Loom Bands are getting plenty of attention too at the moment. Are crazes and fads speeding up, or slowing down? Are the dynamics changing? The most successful crazes have always been generated from the playground up -kids talking to kids, with everything from yo-yos to fidget toys and let’s face it yoyos are the perfect fidget toy - it’s always been led by the end user. The dynamics have changed massively over the past 10 years with the rise and rise of influencers, social media apps and just the proliferation of access to all forms of media.
Ask the retailer
41AUGUST 2022
We asked our retailers what playground toys are selling well.
Amanda Alexander owns Giddy Goat Toys in Didsbury, Manchester. She says: “Pokemon cards are the consistent big seller, but fiddle toys, putty and squishy toys still sell. I even got asked for Loom Bands today.
Fact! A realmstorycharactersintroduces12-minutegrippingwebisodetheandthebehindtheofGooZonia CHARACTER 0161 633 sales@charactergroup.plc.uk.9800
Character Options is a go-to for playground crazes and pocket money toys, with a raft of cool, stretchable, squishable and collectable brands. This year, the firm is leveraging its worldwide success with stretchy, squishy, crunchy tactile toys with a new concept for the collectable dolls aisle: GooZonians. A launch collection includes six stretchy, squishy, crunchy superheroes from the mythical realm of GooZonia, where enchanted, rainbow-hued goo flows through everything. These beautiful, colourful heroes are 7ins tall and launched globally this June. Supported by a gripping 12-minute webisode introducing the characters and the story behind the realm of GooZonia - girls everywhere are sure to fall in love with the GooZonians. Launching with webisode, TVC, FSDU and an extensive influencer campaign the range is set for full impact. Alongside six single Hero packs there will also be a Twin Pack with exclusive fillings on the royal leads Queen Ember and Princess Flik.
OPTIONS
FLAIR GP 0208 643 0320 | sales@flairplc.co.uk
There’s a collectable line-up of interchangeable mini-figures to be discovered with Action Heroes, which feature pop and swap head and body pieces, and double-sided faces with different expressions. The pieces can be mixed and matched to create thousands of new combinations; the more figures they collect, the more characters they can create. Then, collectors can build their own Action Heroes worlds, with playsets and incredible action vehicles also available in the range. The collection launches in AW22 with two themed worlds to build, which bring the excitement of the police force and the awe-inspiring era of dinosaurs to the fore. Hamstars are coming! Hamstars are the super-talented hamsters who are all about music, fashion and hair. This fresh IP launches this A/W, with a host of cool lines to collect. There are four 3in Micro Popstars for kids to spend their pocket money on. Hamstars Micro Popstars are small plush personalities, made with 100% recycled stuffing, with long hair that’s fun to style. Each character comes with hairdressing accessories and comes in microphoneshaped packaging. Little Hamstars fans can build on their collections with the larger 8in characters and playsets.Fromone new IP to another, Unicones are the sweet ’n sparkly unicorns with a slime surprise. Kids can collect all of the adorable unicorn characters in the range. Will they discover the rare, superrare or ultra-rare characters? Each unicorn comes hidden in a sweet ice cream cone, along with a variety of accessories and stickers to decorate the unicorn inside. There are more than 10 surprises to unwrap, and that’s not all. Inside each cone, children will also find one container of unicorn poop slime; there are 12 mystery styles to find.
From cute, collectable brands to pop-and-swap mini-figures, Flair GP’s portfolio is packed full of pocket money toys that are sure to keep kids entertained in the playground this year.
One for dino fans… Action Heroes offers two themed worlds to build, one of which brings the era of dinosaurs to the fore
Pocket money pop stars
toysnplaythings.media PLAYGROUNDFEATURE CRAZES
There’s a host of squishy figures to collect; the latest collections include Batman, and the Amazing Spidey and Friends. These new licences join the likes of other power licences including Pa Patrol, Peppa Pig, Disney Princess, My Little Pony, Harry Potter, Disney Frozen and Toy Story, with lots of new waves available to collect.
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Heroes of Goo Jit Zu remains a top priority for Character Options, with the collection now sold in 50+ territories. And success for the collection is assured, thanks to the regular addition of new core themes, hot licences, and extensive marketing. Big news for 2022 are the Goo Shifters. The Heroes of Goo Jit Zu characters are back, embarking on a new journey to discover the secrets hidden within. Each Goo Shifter figure features a special hidden core. Kids find the core then crush it to power up their Goo Jit Zu hero and watch their goo transformation. In this latest series, there are seven new figures to collect; each has a unique hidden core to discover and explore, aligning the range perfectly with the continuing ASMR toy trend. Plus, don’t miss the limited-edition Corruptagon, with its epic light-up feature. The Goo Shifter theme continues with super-sized Rockjaw and Thrash Primal Packs –larger 8.5in figures complete with chomp attack jaws for added battle play. Plus, there will also be a Goo Shifter Versus Pack to collect: Shadow Orbs Scorpius takes on Liquid Gold Pantaro in the ongoing battle of Goo VS Evil. There is lots of newness for Mash’ems – the squish kids can’t resist. In this licensed, surprise reveal range, kids will find all their favourite characters hidden inside cool Mash’ems capsules.
Did you know?
Schleich’s collectable offering has seen another successful year with strong additions to both its Eldrador Creatures and bayala ranges. This month sees the launch of Series 2 of Eldrador Mini Creatures, with 13 new creatures including a rare golden Mini Hero, closely followed by Series 3 in December featuring a further 16 creatures. Available in a blind bag with a small collector’s poster, fans can stack the creatures up into a mighty pyramid before toppling them over, or pop them in the Eldrador Master Robot. The franchise will benefit from TV and digital advertising, PR and magazine covermount sampling. Schleich’s magical bayala range added another seven collectable foals to its offering in July, each with a different candy marking on its hind. While the brand’s first mystery collectable eggs, featuring six Hatching Baby Dragons and six Winged Baby Kittens including two rare transparent, sparkling figures, has been a huge hit since its spring launch.
Playground crazes galore...
There’s something for all car and movie fanatics in Simba Smoby Toys UK’s Jada Toys and Majorette die-cast vehicle collections, be they kids or kidults. Big news for the Jada Toys collection this year is the launch of the latest Batmobile in its Hollywood Rides range. The ultimate must-have for Batman fans, The Batman 1:32 Scale is a perfect replica of the Dark Knight’s latest set of wheels. The Batman hit the big screen this March, giving fans a look at the highly anticipately Batmobile vehicle. The 1:32 scale die-cast vehicle comes with a scaled Batman metal figure. There are now seven 1:32 scale Batmobile with Batman packs to collect, each modelled on one of Batman’s on-screen appearances. Also available in Jada’s Hollywood Rides range is a host of iconic properties including Back to the Future, Scooby Doo, and Jurassic Park. An evergreen seller in the range is the 1:32 scale Fast & Furious range, which includes detailed replicas popular cars from the eight-film, multi-billion-dollar franchise.
0116 478 5230 | www.toynamics.com
Fact! Eldrador’s Mini Creatures feature 13 new characters, with 16 more to come in December
SIMBA SMOBY 674 778 | sales@simbasmoby.com
Guess what… The Majorette range of diecast vehicles is available to retailers as a 36-piece CDU, with a mix of 18 cars
TOYNAMICS
43AUGUST 2022
Games include magnifying glass, whistles, animal stamps, spinning tops and kaleidoscopes, with the Hape Magnetic Drawing Board the best seller - the bright red apple is filled with metal balls, and the magnetic leaf pen is used to create pictures and patterns.
Toynamics UK & Ireland distributes an entire collection of Hape pocket money toys and games, ideal for playground crazes and pocket money collectables. They are available to retailers in a bespoke freestanding display unit, or for retailers with limited space there’s a smaller counter display unit. Refill packs for both units ensure retailers can stay stocked up. The FSDU accommodates more than 70 individual products, across more than 20 different types of games and toys.
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Meanwhile, perfect for kids and kidult collectors is the Majorette range of diecast vehicles. Small in size but big on detail, this premium range of 3in scale cars boasts opening doors, suspension, transparent front lights and interiors. The collection is available to retailers as a 36-piece CDU, with a mix of 18 car models and themed cars.
Toynamics also distributes Nebulous Stars, which provides children aged seven and over with creative play and craft sets. The Nebulous Stars Watercolour-To-Go (Pitch Black) Sets, are new this year; compact and portable art sets, which fold out and include a pad of paper and eight colours, mixing palate and paint brush, are available in a small display unit.DinosArt offers a variety of dinosaur-themed craft sets, painting, drawing and collectable items for children aged seven-plus. Toynamics provides marketing support for all brands and in-store product promotion.
Fantastic creatures
SCHLEICH
01279 www.schleich-s.com/enschleich@schleich.co.uk870000
Hooray Hollywoodforrides
The original ‘stick-with-water’ arts and crafts bead activity toy, Aquabeads offers a variety of sets including Mini Theme Sets, which provides a great introduction to the range for beginners. Themes include Farm, Jewel and Mermaid, and each set comes with 180 star, solid and jewel beads in 10 to 14 colours plus a quarter tray, pipette and a template sheet. Also available is the Aquabeads Mini Key Chain Pack. Featuring 140 beads and key chain accessories, there are four different design templates – an elephant, parrot, rainbow and a cherry so that crafters can make their own colourful keyrings and take their creations wherever they go. Also included is a spray bottle and layout tray. Fun and safe for children aged four years and above, Aquabeads is super simple to use – just place the beads on the flip tray, spray with water and watch as they magically stick together. With no heat or glue required children can craft Elsewhere,independently.gamingfans can bring the world of Super Mario to life with Epoch’s Super Mario Balancing Games. The games allow players to test their balancing skills by placing the four figures from the Super Mario World on top of the swaying stage without them falling off. Suitable for one or more players aged four-plus, there are three different themes to choose from - Ground, Underground, and Castle with each stage coming in a different colour.
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PLAYGROUNDFEATURE CRAZES
SPIN MASTER 01628 535000 | www.spinmaster.com/en-GB Spin Master has a brilliant selection of pocket money toys and collectables to keep up with the latest playground crazes. With excellent choices from brands such as Bakugan and Batman, as well as new brand Pixobitz, and Spin Master’s popular Harry Potter range, Wizarding World, there really is something for everyone. Children looking for more action in the playground this season can unleash epic transformations with the new Bakugan Evolutions collection. Action seekers can face off against their friends with their very own Bakugan to become the ultimate Bakugan Master. Add all the Season 4 Bakugan Evolution toys to your collection, including Nanogan and Platinum Bakugan to build your own dream team. Collect them all, including favourite characters from the hit TV show, now on Pop TV and Netflix.Craft lovers will enjoy showing off their artistic skills with new Pixobitz. Pixobitz are cube-shaped water fuse beads that stick together to make 3D and 2D pixel art creations. Experience a new dimension of creativity with the Pixobitz Studio. This set features 500 Bitz in 10 colours, 14 accessories, more than 100 water transfer decos, four easy-to-use tools, two trays and three template cards. For easy organisation and storage, the Pixobitz Studio closes into a carrying case and fits everything inside making it easy to take to and from the playground.
The Pixobitz Studio has 500 Bitz in 10 colours, 14 accessories, more than 100 water transfer decos, four easy-to-use tools, two trays and three template cards | sales@epochmakingtoys.com
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Blind bag babies EPOCH MAKING TOYS 0208 049 1377
Crazes galore
Fans of Harry Potter will love Spin Master’s Wizarding World Magical Minis small dolls, which will help young witches, wizards, and Muggles recreate scenes from the Harry Potter books and movies. Did you know?
The Pixobitz Creator Feature Bundle Pack also has everything required to make endless 3D and 2D pixel art creations that stick together with just water. This set even includes 113 exclusive glow-in-the-dark Bitz that aren’t available in any other pack. The Feature Bundle Pack comes with a total of 522 Bitz in 16 different colours, six accessories, more than 100 water transfer decos, an easy-to-use spray bottle tool, a tray and six template cards for on the go play. Pixobitz is the perfect option for girls and boys who like art projects, DIY kits and toy-building sets. Young sports fans can show off their fingerboarding skills with Tech Deck 96mm boards. Tech Deck brings skateboarding fans the real deal with authentic fingerboards from top skate brands. For lovers of the Caped Crusader, there’s the Batman 4in and 12in action figures. Each 12in action figure has 11 points of articulation, a cloth cape and detailed comic styling.
Pixobitz are cube-shaped water fuse beads that stick together to make 3D and 2D pixel art creations.
Summer sees the ninth series of Sylvanian Families’ Baby Collectables series launch. Available in a blind bag, there are eight baby characters to collect in the Baby Fun Hair series including a cute secret figure. Each character comes with their own hair accessory. Available in a CDU.
In addition, other launches include adorable baby figures to complement the new families launched in Spring/ Summer; Husky Twins, Sheep Twins and Sheep Baby.
Did you know? Baby figures to complement the new Sylvanian families launched in Spring/Summer have been launched - including Husky Twins, Sheep Twins and Sheep Baby
FOR FUN 0141 613 2525 | sales@oneforfun.com
The 2022Fairtopper,includesPack,CollectorRecyclingsCapwhichapencilwonaToyHeroToysaward
know?you
Unwrap Dream Beams World!
Keeping it green
Winner of a Toy Fair’s Hero Toys 2022 award, the Recyclings Collector Cap Pack includes one surprise Recyclings. Twist the cap to reveal your recycled friend, then pencil top, play and collect with more than 90 cute eco-friendly characters to collect. The rest of the range includes value-saving multipack styles with the 4-Pack and Collector 9-Pack allowing fans to expand their collection further, with 100% recycled packaging to boot. A/W22 sees refreshes of the core lines and introductions of a playset and other recycled friends to encourage everyone to save the world one bottle cap at a time. In the preschool aisle, one in three kids in the UK now own a Ryan’s World toy. Moving into Series 9 for AW 2022, there will be more newness across the Core collectables with fans continuing to collect the latest styles of Mystery Figures, Squishy Figures and surprise Putty.
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VIVID GOLIATH 01483 vividtoysandgames.co.uk449944 Sustainability is at the forefront for Recyclings, a new launch to the collectables sector which sees a range that is made from 70% recycled plastic, stopping around five bottle caps going into landfill for each lovable little cutie character. Collectable characters range from Dumplings to Dragons, Hotdogs to Handbags and Popcorn to Pandas –Recyclings can be anything at all.
This summer, Happy Line Toys introduced a new world of lovable, huggable plush: Dream Beams. Born of Dream Beams World, a magical place where everyone is special, Dream Beams are great cuddle companions, fun to squeeze and come with a special glow-in-the-dark feature that makes going to bed soothing and comforting. And soon kids will be able to unwrap even more fun from Dream Beams World, with the Dream Mystery - the Dream Beams Mini Surprise Collectables. These super-cute, 9cm-tall soft toy collectables will be dropping out of the castle’s magical portal in blind packaging, ready to be discovered, cuddled, and cherished by little Dream Beams fans. There are 10 soft, squishy, Dream Beams characters to collect, each with glow-in-the-dark features.
Dream Beams benefits from the support of a full marketing programme and a growing digital presence. Fans can now immerse themselves in the brand via social media and a new interactive website - dream-beams.com - that has mini-games to engage with consumers.
Guess what… Dream Beans have a special glow-in-the-dark feature that makes going to bed soothing and comforting
45AUGUST 2022 Cutest crazes BASIC FUN! 0118 925 3270 | www.BasicFun.com
Did
Basic Fun! presents a portfolio full of pocket money toys that will be hot property in the playground, this Autumn/Winter. One craze that comes straight from the internet is the hilarious, surprise reveal brand: Misfittens. Based on the internet sensation #IfitsIsits, Misfittens are the misfitting plush kittens that come squished inside an assortment of cat pun, memeishly themed packs. Kids can rescue the Misfittens, who need help in getting MEOWT! The brand is supported with a strong campaign and eyecatching point of sale. From one new IP to the evergreen collectable craze: Cutetitos. Fans of these super-cute plush pals will soon be able to spend their pocket money on fresh new Cutetitos themes and characters. New for summer is the latest wave for the sellout Unicornitos theme. Plus, Basic Fun! is taking Cutetitos fans to the islands… Say ‘Aloha’ to the Islanditos, the new tutti fruity, furry, scented friends that smell deliciously tropical. And the Cutetitos brand is continuing to expand-ito into AW22, with a second wave of licensed Care Bear Cutetitos designs, and an all-new, birthday cake scented, Cutetitos Cookieitos theme.
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Mike O’Connell says that there are two key factors that have really helped boost the dress up sector: “
Dress up and roleplay toys form an evergreen sector that has plenty of retail opportunities as we head towards autumn and winter Casdon
Let’s pretend
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“A combination of big events, both nationally – such as World Book Day - and internationally such as Carnival, has seen the industry reinvigorated and ready to supply consumers with costumes and accessories essential to celebrations. Furthermore, large-scale cinematic releases such as DC’s The Batman, Universal’s Jurassic World: Dominion and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home are helping to bolster our existing strong portfolio.’’ But he says the biggest change Rubies has seen is that every aspect of business is now more interlocked with the web than ever before. “As a highly adaptable company, we’ve been able to keep up with this online demand by making our digital capabilities more enhanced and innovative to help stay ahead of the curve.’’ There’s also been a move towards a younger age group, he says: “The preschool and early ages market is one that has been growing exponentially recently; with the acquisition of licences such as Numberblocks and Cocomelon, we’ve been able to cater to this growing audience in new and exciting ways. Intersected with this is the phenomenal rise of streaming platforms as consumers access most of their digital media through services such as Disney+, Amazon Prime and Netflix, which influences fancy-dress T he evergreen sector of dress up and roleplay had shown a decline in 2021, but with films aplenty this year, and licensed toys showing a 16% increase according to NPD figures, there is plenty of positivity in this part of the toyMikeindustry.O’Connell, managing director of Rubies, the world’s largest designer, manufacturer and distributor of costumes says: “Big events in the first half of Rubies industry-leading distribution grow further and customer availability reach new heights with the acquisition of a new warehouse in Northern Europe, enabling us to deliver more trade inventory, to more territories than ever before.’’ This sounds really positive, and Mike says the company has “bounced back from the pandemic to be bigger and better than ever. It has been great to see celebrations and events return to normality as people gather with their friends and family. With stag and hen dos, festivals, Pride and parties, we’ve seen a steady increase in demand for our generic accessory ranges. while our licensed portfolio remains strong for summer-themed events.’’
Likewise, the signs are good at roleplay specialists Casdon, says managing director Phil Cassidy: “There is still an upwards trend for the traditional roleplay toys. Especially ones that encourage imaginative play patterns. Casdon was built on my grandfather’s belief that toys need to have a role in children’s learning and development as well as being fun to play with and this is still very much recognised today.’’
rangeAdaptiveOurCostumehasbeenoneofthefirsttheworldhasseen Mike O’Connell,
For Rubies, the digital influence is key: “Streaming services show no sign of slowing down and with that, the trend for fancy-dress costumes and accessories from this type of content continues to grow to new heights. The market is continuing to grow exponentially, and with the growth in our dropship capabilities and distribution capacities, we’re able to appeal to a wide new audience,’’ concludes Mike O’Connell.
We don’t do dress up beyond fairy wings, tiaras and builder’s hats as we just don’t have the room, plus the supermarkets and discount retailers tend to have lots of lower-price dress up, but we do have lots of roleplay, specifically Le Toy Van and Bigjigs wooden play food sets and Tool Belt, and Casdon Sweet Shop, Post Office and tills. What sells really well?
Especiallytoys.onesthatencourageimaginativeplaypatterns
47AUGUST 2022
Casdon has just taken on a new licence, as Phil Cassidy explains: “We have continued to build on our heritage, this year saw us welcome a completely new licence as well as unveil new products across the“Weportfolio.celebrated the 25th anniversary of our exclusive licence partnership with Dyson. It was timely for us to reveal three new SKUs to our best-selling range of vacuum cleaner toys as well as bringing together Dyson Hair and roleplay, with the Dyson Supersonic and Corrale Styling Set. These toys include miniature versions of the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer and Dyson Corrale Hair Straighteners. “We also have a fresh new licence in the Casdon portfolio, from one of the world’s leading houseware brands with a global presence spanning more than 100 countries –Joseph Joseph. We have launched six products in the range, including the Joseph Joseph Extend which takes water play to a whole new level. “As always, the toys have been designed and officially licensed to look just like the real thing, the Joseph Joseph Extend set comes complete with a wash bowl and tray to capture small spills while water can There is still upwardsan trend for traditionalthe role play
In dress up we stock Leglar, M&D and Rubies and looking forward to the launch of the Bigjigs new roleplay costumes. Our best sellers are Accessories always sell well; we don’t seem to ever stock enough wings, crowns, tiara, wands, swords and various hats from For roleplay in general our best sellers are Peterkins carry cases of tea sets, medical kits and tool boxes. Customers love the fact they come in a carry case to help tidy them up and be portable for journeys Vicky Brown, Just Williams Toys, East Dulwich and Beckenham “ demand heavily. For example, our Spidey and His Amazing Friends costumes has been very well received among audiences who love catching up with the superheroes’ latest adventures online.’’ Inclusivity is another trend in the dress up sector says Mike: “As we see the broader population’s attitude rightconsumersrange,ourcorrelatingsustainability,shoppingahasoneCostumethistoWe’retheinclusivity,positivelychangetowardsweareseeingsameintheindustry.proudlycommittedchampioningit,andiswhyourAdaptiverangehasbeenofthefirsttheworldseen.“We’realsoseeingmassiveshiftinhabitstowardsandwiththisisownGreenCostumewhichhelpsmakethechoicewhenitcomes to the environment and simultaneously cuts down on waste generated by the dress up industry. With Rubies new Green Range, some of the most loved licensed characters including Stormtroopers, Superman and the Hulk, are brought to life in an entirely new and Earth-friendly way. “With machine washability to reduce the amount of single-use costumes and waste from the industry going to landfill, as well as being made of recycled polyester with 100% recycled and recyclable packaging, we are consciously committed to protecting the planet for future generations. We are also donating out-of-term inventory to charities such as The Children’s Society to ensure we avoid landfills and“Aswastage.’always,cinematic releases also help to influence costume trends, especially around Halloween. Our Obi-Wan Kenobi and Thor: Love and Thunder costumes are hotly tipped to be two of the bestsellers as we come into peak season. ‘’ So, what else can we expect in dress up and roleplay this year?
Amanda Alexander, Giddy Goat Toys, Didsbury, What brands do you stock in this sector?
Rubies
A nice affordable children’s jewellery range to replace Pink Poppy.
Ask the retailer... We asked: What brands do you stock in this sector?
The Bigjigs Cutting Fruit and Cutting Vegetable are probably the best sellers in this range. We also have a great Play Teachers set, which was put together by a local teacher for his two young daughters who loved it so much that he made it into a set to sell. Is there anything you would love to stock but can’t find?
Phil CasdonmanagingCassidy,director, “ fantastic job with logistics, and we are confident in the solutions they
sales@toynamics.co.uk5230
In collaboration with Dyson engineers, Casdon has rethought the toy’s design to provide a realistic Dyson styling experience. Now with their own mini models, children can engage in pretend play with items they may already be familiar with from around the home, exploring their imagination while further developing their hand eye-coordination.Casdonisathird-generation, family-focused business that believes in the power of play. Each toy Casdon creates captures a sense of fun and excitement, always exploring new ideas and new ways to live playfully. The Dyson Hair toys follow the toy Dyson cordless vacuum, which launched in 2018.
Casdon toymaker, Chun Li, said: “Having worked with Dyson for over 25 years, we were ecstatic to have the opportunity to add the prestigious Hair Care machines into our assortment – recreating such recognisable designs while ensuring safety and suitability for children were of the upmost importance. We rethought the ergonomics, designing something suitable for young hands, whilst bringing the iconic elements of the original machines to life.”
Getting ahead on style Casdon
Did you know?
To keep the toys safe, the Supersonic hairdryer blows cool air, while the Corrale’s flexing plates move when touched, glow and initiate sound, but don’t get hot it be good…
TOYNAMICS UK & IRELAND 0116 478
Dr On Call: a well-equipped wooden doctor’s kit, with endless role play opportunities, designed to keep dolls, family and friends happy and healthy. Comes with carry case, toy stethoscope, thermometer, needle and notebook.
Fix-It Tool Box: with realistic tools and mechanical parts, this 17-piece wooden set includes a vice, wrench, screwdriver and other essential construction tools. Like all Hape toys it is made from high-quality wood making it long-lasting and durable. All sets for ages three-plus.
There are three styling sets: the Supersonic Styling Set, which includes the iconic hair dryer, the Corrale Styling Set, which includes a mini version of the straighteners and stand; and the Deluxe Set, which has it all.
Wooden
Metro Police Dept Playset: this twolevel wooden station features a jail cell with opening door, an office, helicopter with its own landing pad, a police car, police officer and prisoner figures with poseable arms and legs so they can stand, sit and turn their heads. It also comes with accessories including searchlight, speaker, flag, and walkie-talkies.
BASIC FUN!
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www.BasicFun.comTim.Ives@basicfun.com3270
01253 www.casdon.comUK@casdon.com766411
Why should the grown-ups have all the fun? Dyson engineers have worked with format.inCorraledryerSupersonicrecreateCasdonmanufacturer,toytotheDysonhairandDysonstraightenerachild-friendlyThechild-sizedmachines feature all the hallmarks of their full-sized family members including blowing real air, making identical sounds, and featuring flexing plate technology. Each set also comes complete with accompanying accessories and attachments for different hair types.
Inspiring imagination
The Toynamics UK & Ireland range of wooden playsets offers retailers a highquality collection of roleplay toys to encourage children’s imaginative play. Tipped as Hape top sellers for 2022 are:
48 ROLEPLAY & DRESS UP
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Basic Fun!’s Fisher-Price Classics roleplay collection is sure to fire up a child’s imagination.Thisnostalgic range of Fisher-Price Classic toys is designed to inspire a child’s imagination and encourage interactive play. There are so many iconic items to choose from, including The Chatter Telephone, which will make children smile, with eyes that move up and down and a rotary dial that rings. There is also Lil Snoopy, the adorable four-legged friend with a wobbling body and swinging ears. Children can take their first steps with Lil Snoopy, pulling him along for hours of roleplay fun. And it doesn’t stop there. There are plenty of other fun toys in the Fisher-Price Classics range, which encourage pretend play, while supporting early development. Don’t miss the number-one selling line, the Record Player, or the Cash Register. Guess what… For a touch of nostalgia, the Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone is on sale for a new generation of children
Li continues: “Like all of our Dyson lines, it was imperative that we covered every detail of both the Supersonic and the Corrale, turning iconic design features into stimulating play that helps support development in young children. This includes the Corrale’s flexing plates – which move when touched, glow and initiate sound – just like the adult version but without the heat. The child-sized version of the Supersonic again displays realistic lights and sounds, while blowing out cool air. We’re thrilled with the outcome and expect to see many of these added to Christmas wish lists.”
There are also costumes to go bananas for with a wide range of Minions products, bolstering an already strong Despicable Me and wider Universal range. Rubies’ new Minions costumes are perfect for friends and family members who want to build their own comprisesgiantswithRubies’sets.groupmatchingcostumeFurthermore,partnershiptoyindustryMattelanewBarbie range, featuring Barbie Ballerina, Barbie Astronaut and Barbie Princess dress up, with even more designs on the way soon. Rubies, the world’s largest designer, manufacturer and distributor of costumes, prides itself on being at the forefront of innovation. Its Adaptive range of costumes is one of the first in the world to be entirely inclusive towards children with different abilities. It is also actively making a big change as a business with its first-ever Green Collection of dress up, made from recycled polyester and machine washable. The Green Collection looks to improve longevity of fancy-dress, reduces waste to landfill from the industry and comes in 100% recycled and recyclable packaging. You’ll also be able to get stocked up in the summer for stag and hen dos and festival celebrations with Rubies’ strong generic range and then head into Halloween with the new collection of terrifying costumes and accessories for all ages. Did you know? Rubies’ Adaptive range of costumes is one of the first to be entirely inclusive towards children with different abilities
ROLEPLAYFEATURE& DRESS UP
From trade peak periods like Halloween and Christmas, to exciting national and global events such as World Book Day and Carnival, it has you covered. For sci-fi fans there’s the new Obi-Wan Kenobi range from the hit Disney+ series, which has seen a new wave of Star Wars fans want to get dressed up just like the Jedi, or his arch nemesis Darth Vader. On the other hand, perfect for back to school, Warner Bros’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter costumes are evergreen favourites of generations of children, which now come with reimagined styles of costumes featuring a Gryffindor poncho and Wand Dress.
toysnplaythings.media50 All dressed up Rubies 01491 www.rubiesuk.comcustomerservices@rubiesuk.com826500
Rubies provides a winning combination of industry-leading design, distribution and reliable service to deliver not just the product to its customers on time but spread the enjoyment of our costumes and accessories to all our consumers.
Rubies brings the hottest product from the newest releases such as Thor: Love and Thunder costumes, Jurassic World Dominion or the recent blockbuster hits such as The Batman or Spider-Man: No Way Home. The company says it covers the widest range of licensed product in dress up while providing one of the largest ranges of both generic ranges and accessories for every occasion in the calendar.
andcoffee-freereallattesmilkshakes Just like the grown-ups Little Tikes 01908 268 www,littletikes.co.uk/contact-usuklittletikes@mgae.com480
Character Options has a foodie play concept that is going to be a big hit with little roleplay fans.
51AUGUST 2022 Fact!
The Café Creative Barista Bar lets kids make and decorate
The Little Tikes First Self-Checkout Stand has everything little ones need so they can pretend to go shopping and pay for their purchases. This roleplay self-checkout stand has a sleek, modern look and is packed with interactive features: a flatbed scanner, handheld scanner, payment keypad, and a coin dispenser. Plus, it makes realistic beeping sounds and lights up for hours of imaginative play. Kids can pretend to shop in a grocery, hardware, or clothing store by choosing between the three included monitor screens. Pretending to go to the store helps kids gain a sense of responsibility, an important part of social-emotional learning.
The Café Creative Barista Bar lets kids make and decorate real coffee-free lattes, adding all the professional touches of any fancy coffee shop. Did somebody say frothy milk with stencilled chocolate designs? Kids will love mixing their cold drinks with the strawberry and chocolate flavoured powder mixes, frothing them with the safe milk frothing mixer, and finishing them off with dazzling stencilled designs. One thing’s for sure, this is the gift that will keep on giving!
The First Self-Checkout Stand is easy to set up and includes more than 40 realistic shopping accessories.
Fact! Kids can recreate a shopping trip with the The Little Tikes First SelfCheckout Stand, which has a flatbed scanner, handheld scanner, payment keypad, and a coin
The Café Creative Barista Bar lets kids hone their early barista skills, pretend playing at creating impressive latte art. With this super-fun set, children can serve up a trayful of thirstquenching, artistic beverages.
Roleplay is essential for children’s development - it allows them to stretch and develop their imagination while discovering more about the world around them, all while learning skills like empathy and responsibility. For over 50 years, Little Tikes has firmly established itself as a leader in UK roleplay toys, consistently creating ranges that have gone on to become firm family favourites. Little ones can pretend to cook and bake just like the grown-ups with the super realistic Little Tikes First Oven. This sleek, modern roleplay oven is packed with interactive features: stovetop burners that light up, clickable buttons, a working oven light, a removable oven shelf, and turning burner dials. Plus, it makes realistic sounds such as burners igniting, water boiling, sizzling, timers ringing, and more, to really extend the roleplay for hours. Pretending to cook and do other chores helps kids gain a sense of responsibility, an important part of social-emotional learning. The First Oven is easy to set up and fits all 11 accessories (which are included) for easy clean-up too.
CHARACTER OPTIONS 0161 633 www.character-online.comsales@charactergroup.plc.uk9800
Serving up a treat
It’s a quirky independent toy shop in the famous village of Holmfirth (where Last of the Summer Wine was filmed). A true Aladdin's cave and everybody - not only children - can find something great. I do not sell licensed toys but everything different, unique and unusual. How did July’s heatwave affect you, your business - and sales? Heatwave? What heatwave! Most of the globe gets such temperatures during summer. I absolutely loved every minute of it! I'm not a complainer and it lasted only three days, which I fully enjoyed and tried to sit outside my shop to get some highly needed rays! I closed my shop early, at 3pm only because I wasn't getting any customers from around lunchtime, but mornings were busy. Do you have specific stock for back to school? Very soon I need to reorganise one area of my shop which will allow me to create a new larger stationery and art books space but I never get any specific back-to-school stock. I have educational toys in stock all year round, which sell steadily. Lunch boxes etc have never sold well for me so I don’t stock those any more. Have you had any products that have been way more successful than you expected over the past few months?
If you would like to take partin Toy Talk, we’d love to hearfrom you. Please tim@lemapublishing.co.ukemail
Julia Lowe Owner, Farm Toys Online How did July’s heatwave affect you, your business - and sales? The team and I decided that Meltdown Monday was likely to be unbearable, so we came in earlier, did what was necessary and left as soon as we possibly could. Sales were down by about 50% on that Monday; wet days aren't so much fun but are much better for our sales! However, we can’t complain, overall July sales have been strong due to the rush on our outdoor toys - particularly ride-ons and sandpit toys.
Maggie Tibbenham Director, Imagine Toy Shop West Yorkshire Tell us a little about your shop.
I do not offer any licensed toys. A short while ago I took some risk and ordered a few themes like PeppaPig, Cocomelon, Jurassic World and Batman thinking it might sell well...unfortunately I'm now stuck with it and just can't sell it at all. Taking such a risk hasn't paid off for me. The only product which would sometimes refer to movies is LEGO, which sells well. How are you feeling about business as we head towards the Golden Quarter for the toy industry? To me it feels like this year is running so fast! Six weeks of holidays will pass quickly, Halloween will follow and then it's Christmas! I can’t wait to go to the NEC in September for Autumn Fair and search for something totally different, hopefully from brands and companies abroad. I often get beautiful products from France and Spain and those sell very well for me as the quality is superb and it's unique. I definitely must reduce and sell the licensed products and make more space for newness. I might reduce orders of anything robotic as last year I ordered a lot of such toys for Christmas and it took me far too long to sell them.
minutelovedIduringtemperaturesglobeMostWhat"Heatwave?heatwave!ofthegetssuchsummer.absolutelyeveryofit!"
The top five best-selling toys each week will almost always be from our core range of tractors. But thanks to the wonderful weather we have been having, sales of our John Deere Licenced sandpit toys have broken records this year. They are great value for money and brilliant for the sandbox or day trips to the beach.
Have you had any products that have been way more successful than you expected over the past few months?
TnP loves to hear your views. This month we ask about back to school and looking to the Golden Quarter
How are you feeling about business as we head towards the Golden Quarter for the toy industry? We shall be playing it safe as we head towards Christmas. I feel that the knock-on impact of the rising cost of living has only really just begun to be felt, meaning that it is still hard for us to draw any firm conclusion on what the Golden Quarter might be like.
Talking retail 52 OPINIONRETAIL
Pokèmon cards are always one of the bestselling items and I feel those have been selling even better in the past few months; some customers buy 20-40 cards at once (although we try not to allow it if our stock levels are low). NeeDoh, now sold by BigJigs, has been selling incredibly. We o rdered the whole line and every item sold superfast. Everything squashy and squidgy always sells super well and NeeDoh with its neon look was destined to success. This has been called the year of the movie - as major releases have appeared back in cinemas with full force this year. If you stock licensed products related to movies/TV/online, what has sold well for you?
toysnplaythings.media
topositivethereRetreatacrosscrisis,thewithstruggleacontinuesactivitytotakehitasconsumerstocopetheeffectsofcost-of-livinghowevertheGeekFranchisearemanystoriesshare"
There's certainly no shortage of new superhero movies in 2022! At Geek Retreat we love Marvel and DC movies as much as the next person. Each of our stores put on events and release stock according to the varied interest of their local communities. Film releases make the original comic books and manga popular, especially if it’s been adapted to anime.
Taking a nostalgic trip back to the eighties I am reliving my childhood memories by recently stocking Care Bears and My Little Ponies from ABGee, Sooty & Co Hand puppets and E.T. plush toys from Muddleit, along with a few others that all seem to be a hit with the customers as well. 53
The show that is breaking Netflix viewing records is also bringing a flood of new fans to the tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).
Tell us about your shops. Geek Retreat is the friendliest place to eat, meet, shop and play. We have a packed calendar full of community events such as Home Education Meet-ups, Crochet Corner and LGBTQ+ coffee mornings through to traditional TCG (Trading Card Gaming) gaming events, catering all skills and ages. Our customers never go hungry thanks to our tasty menu and infamous geek-themed milkshakes. We also sell a wide range of Geeky merchandise, from card games and accessories to Pokémon toys. Today we are 52 stores throughout the UK from Aberdeen in Scotland to Truro in Cornwall. How did July’s heatwave affect you, your business - and sales? Retail activity continues to take a hit as consumers struggle to cope with the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, however across the Geek Retreat Franchise there are many positive stories to share. Our stores are working harder than ever to manage costs, invest in stock and offer the best experience toOurcustomers.storesmanaged the heatwave in different ways, always making staff and customers safety a priority. Overall trading dipped over the hottest two days (albeit ice creams sales were at a record high) but the following Saturday was our best-ever trading day on record, so the sun didn’t keep people away for too long. In Glasgow, where Geek Retreat began, they set a new record for highest sales a single store has achieved in a week. Achieving these milestones are positive, however I am mostly proud of how the stores have put in an incredible effort working hand in hand with our head office team to trade through these challenging months.
Have you had any products that have been more successful than expected over the past few months?
The show, Stranger Things, set in the 1980s is a supernatural thriller whose characters are obsessed with D&D. At Geek Retreat we love D&D, it’s the perfect game to bring people together as there are no restrictions on who can play. We offer D&D learn to play sessions, starter sessions and weekly meet-ups, which attract lots of interest including those who sometimes struggle socially but find it easier to communicate through their characters in our safe spaces. This has been called the year of the movie - as major releases have appeared back in cinemas with full force this year. What has sold well for you?
I’m feeling quite excited for the golden quarter this year. Being an online business, the past couple of years have seen my business go from strength to strength due to the shopping habits of many customers shifting to online shopping during the pandemic. Many customers like to support the small independents rather than giving their money to the big guys and this has really given a boost to my business. This has been called the year of the movie - as major releases have appeared back in cinemas with full force this year. If you stock licensed product related to movies/TV/online, what has sold well for you?
Do you have specific stock for back to school? Absolutely! Lots of our stores have a range of backpacks, notebooks, pencil cases and water bottles for Geekystationery lovers. I’ve got my eye on the ‘I’m all ears’ Mandalorian notebook…
Karen Dorn Owner, The Forgotten Toy
"Retail
Small traditional toys such as cup & ball toys and yo-yos have been quite successful recently along with hand puppets and finger puppets. I believe some customers are wanting to provide different types of gifts for party bag favours rather than the plastic items that are usually found in them.
fewthanhaveHavewww.theforgottentoyshop.co.ukShopyouhadanyproductsthatbeenwaymoresuccessfulyouexpectedoverthepastmonths?
Peter Dobson CEO, Geek Retreat | 52 shops nationwide
How are you feeling about business as we head towards the Golden Quarter for the toy industry?
How did July’s heatwave affect you, your businessand sales?
Talking retail
toysnplaythings.media54 OPINIONRETAIL
We have a shop in town that specialises in school uniforms, bags and so on, so I concentrate more on lunchboxes and also stock up on a lot of squishy and fidget toys. They really help in their first few weeks at a new school, bless them. Have you had any products that have been way more successful than you expected over the past few months?
In Devon, it was at it’s very hottest on the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Outside of peak times, I do not open Mondays, so my business was not too badly affected. For the rest of the week, I brought a nice fan in and the café over the road had plenty of cold drinks on offer. I found that customers braved it more in the morning and I was very busy then, but it did trail off in the afternoon. They were probably all in the sea by then!
This has been called the year of the movie - as major releases have appeared back in cinemas with full force this year. If you stock licensed product related to movies/TV/online, what has sold well for you?
How did July’s heatwave affect you, your businessand sales?
Tell us a little about your shop. We are in Muswell Hill in north London. I like toys that are good quality, have good play value and will be long lasting and inspire imagination.
It was not so bad in the morning. We had planned to close early at 3pm on the two bad days, as that is when the sun starts to come around and most people were too hot to come out, but considering all that, we did better than I thought we would.
I am nervous. Since re-opening after the lockdowns, business picked up, but now there is so much uncertainty and cost prices are rising every time I place an order, plus the cost of living is so much, I don't see how sales won't be affected and drop back down again. Perhaps I am being pessimistic, but it's more to do with the fact that I am so grateful to still be trading after such a tough time - and am in a much better positionit feels too good to be true. Times were so hard after Brexit, when Covid hit - I thought that would be the end for me. I can't relax and think it's all all right now, so the short answer is, I am still feeling good about things but will always be cautious!
Jennie Hogg Owner, Cachao Toys, Muswell Hill London
Sally Wilde
I do a range of squishy animals from Boxer Gifts, which recently included an adorable hedgehog. They sell and sell. Hedgehogs are definitely a ‘thing’ in my shop. Anything poo-themed is still going strong and the Funtime Stress Poo has sold out yet again for me, along with the Poo Popper.
Do you have specific stock for back to school?
"We have a shop in town specialisesthat in uniforms,school bags etc, so fidgetsquishyupandonconcentrateIlunchboxesalsostockonalotofandtoys"
Have you had any products that have been way more successful than you expected over the past few months? It’s hard to say. I think the one line that fits that description is the Den Kit Company den kits. Not a huge surprise that they did so well, but for a higher-priced item, they sold faster than I had expected and I should have ordered higher quantities of them! I will get them in again as I think they'll still go during the Autumn and Christmas sales. How are you feeling about the business going forward?
Any plans, things you intend to do differently, My main Christmas trade in toys is for stocking-fillers. I do think I will need to find more value items at £3 or under this year. Times will be tough for parents of young children, and they will look for more bargain items so that their little one can still have a full stocking. I also plan to buy more family games in as the price of fuel may deter folk from travelling this Christmas. I think it will be a tricky quarter for retail, sadly, and every square metre must pay for itself, so very careful buying and budgeting will be needed.
I don’t sell much licensed product - just some Star Wars items from Puckator, which go well all year. How are you feeling about business as we head towards the Golden Quarter for the toy industry?
Owner, Planet Sal, Honiton, Devon
At the moment I have just started to stock water bottles and bento boxes from Crocodile Creek (Bertoy), which are already moving. I generally have backpacks in stock anyway from Roka London, which sell all year round. I am planning to get a few more back-to-school bits in a couple of weeks but haven't actually placed the orders yet. August is usually so quiet as everyone is on holiday, so thought it best to clear down the stock and make space for new bits when they're all back in September
Do you have specific stock for back to school?
DON’T MISS… Here’s a quick peek at some of the hottest and newest products. Buyers and retailers, get in touch with your sales contact now! Product: Bluey Bobble Ride On Company: MV Sports & Leisure Ltd Product: Geomag Glow 42 piece set Company: Geomagworld Product: Company:GyroscopeThamesand Kosmos Tel: 01580 713000 Web: www.thamesandkosmos Product: Aquabeads Deluxe Carry Case Company: Epoch Toys Tel: 0843 557 4062 Web: www. epochtoys.com/en-uk Product: Web:Tel:Company:AiroHornit07307168822www.hornit.com Product: Exit Advent Calendar –The Hunt for the Golden Book Company: Thames and Kosmos Tel: 01580 713000 Web: www.thamesandkosmos
Atari fan Chris McVeigh said: “The Atari 2600 was one of the most memorable gifts I got as a kid. I recall spending hours and hours in front of the TV, absolutely amazed that I could play arcade games in my own home. There were so many legendary titles, too, including Asteroids, Adventure, and Centipede. This is why it has been such an incredible experience to bring two icons together - Atari and LEGO - in this awesome set. We hope that building this classic console takes you back to those halcyon days when a handful of pixels meant a world of adventure.”
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WHAT’S
Add to cart LEGO 00800 53465555 I lego.com/en-gb LEGO has gone back to the 80s for its latest creation, an epic 2,5000-plus piece that faithfully recreates a classic video game console. The LEGO Atari 2600 set takes the 1980 version of the seminal console, complete with cartridges and a joystick, and adds crafty touches such as a pop-up element showing a miniature retro gaming room with Minifgure player using the console, as well as recreations of the games themselves.
The plush toys are made with 100 per cent recycled filling, as part of Sambro’s wider sustainability commitments, making them fully compliant with Global Recycle Standards.
Welcome to PlaymobilWiltopia 490184 I www.playmobil.co.uk
Playmobil has launched its first-ever sustainable product range under the Wiltopia banner. The range, made up of 12 baby animals and 15 medium and large-sized creatures, is produced using more than 80% sustainable materials. This includes PCR plastic. Animals on offer take in everything from pandas to alpacas, elephants to ibex and penguins to orangutans and each comes with a QR code with exclusive content.
Thames and Kosmos 01580 713000 I www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk
Hello Kitty plush will be available across selected retailers in the Benelux with stock landing in September.
Sambro has signed a new deal with Sanrio for the development of a new range of Hello Kitty plush, infant toys and feature plush.
Eric Markus, managing director Europe and ROW at Sambro said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Sanrio once more with the launch of our latest range of Hello Kitty plush toys in the Benelux region.’’
Hello plush, Hello Kitty Sambro 0845 8739380 I sales@sambro.com I www.sambro.com
The iconic Japanese character Hello Kitty is known for her supercute red bow and blue overalls, both of which will feature as part of the new range of plush toys.
Fans of Hello Kitty old and new will be able to choose from a selection of sizes, as well as from pink, red or blue colourways –meaning there’s a Hello Kitty plush toy for everyone.
NEW 59AUGUST 2022
There’s a brace of new STEM kits out from Thames and Kosmos under its Kids First banner; each enabling children aged three years old and up to work on assorted models and projects. One is Tools and Building, the other is Intro To Gears. The former includes parts to make a race car, airplane, house scissors and a toolbox to carry their tools, the latter features more than 60 different parts and teaches children all about the benefits of using gears, and the amazing things they can do.
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The global supplier of licensed and own-brand children’s toys and entertainment launches its newest plush range in Q3 after securing retail listings across the Benelux region.
